Heathcliff's Race in the 'Wuthering Heights' Movie Has Been the Subject of Serious Debate

Classic literature is seeing a resurgence in the 2020s as old stories are brought to life with new movie adaptations. Among the stories being breathed new life: Wuthering Heights, the 1847 novel by Emily Brontë.

The book explores passion, romance, obsession, and the complicated lives of Catherine and Heathcliff in 1800s England.

A 2026 movie adaptation starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie has people revisiting the classic and some very old debates. Such as: what race is Heathcliff supposed to be?

Jacob's choice for the role has sparked some controversy, which the showrunner Emerald Fennell has addressed in interviews. Here's what we know about the original intention for Heathcliff's race.

In the original novel by Emily, Heathcliff is the foster son of Mr. Earnshaw, who brings him to Wuthering Heights to raise. In the novel, he is described as "darker-skinned," as noted by The Guardian, but what that means exactly is up to interpretation.

The decision to cast Jacob in the role of Heathcliff has caused some pushback among literary traditionalists who have accused the new movie of "whitewashing" the character.

The movie's director, Emerald Fennell, said this about the subject: "You can only make the movie that you sort of imagined yourself when you read it," per The Guardian.

This in itself is a controversial statement, as the book describes Heathcliff as a "g--sy" and "lascar," which would mean he could be from India or South Asia.

Jacob's casting has caused people to accuse Emerald of privilege and disconnect, turning what has historically been a darker-skinned character into another modern interpretation of white privilege.

Which means that, as Wuthering Heights landed in 2026, the movie adaptation was already off to a rocky start. The issue isn't with Jacob Elordi; he's already proven his acting chops in classic film adaptations, such as 2025's Frankenstein.

But nonetheless, the whole transformation of Heathcliff into yet another white male lead has caused some people to shy away from the adaptation.

The film itself seems to be a genuinely modern-lensed take on the classic. The scenes are suggestive and raunchy, but with a little bit of classic elegance to follow the novel's original theme. It's set in properly timely, elegant England, but there's an undercurrent of modern communication that's hard to suspend disbelief for, according to many who watched the movie.

In the trailers, it's immediately clear that Margot and Jacob will be playing off one another like any modern romance novel leads; passion, danger, jealousy, and steamy encounters.

But will Jacob's role as Heathcliff ultimately eclipse the adaptation?

People seemed pretty mixed on the movie after it landed Feb. 13, 2026. While some were thrilled with the modern, steamy take on a classic, others can't get over Jacob or the trope-heavy adjustments to the movie.

While it's safe to say that Jacob's casting isn't the only issue people had with the film, it was certainly a sticking point for many.