Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi To Star in Emerald Fennell's 'Wuthering Heights'

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Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are said to be ready to take on leading roles in Emerald Fennell's upcoming film adaptation of Emily Brontë's timeless romantic novel, Wuthering Heights.

The casting news was initially shared by Justin Kroll at Deadline, where he mentioned that MRC will finance the film and LuckyChap will handle the production. This project will be the third time Fennell and LuckyChap have teamed up, following their work on Saltburn and Promising Young Woman. The latter earned Fennell an Oscar for best original screenplay.

Filming for Wuthering Heights is set to begin in the UK in 2025, featuring Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Elordi as Heathcliff. The beloved novel by Brontë, first released in 1850, tells the story of the struggles faced by the Earnshaw and Linton families and their connection to Heathcliff, the adopted son of the Earnshaws. However, the casting of Elordi, who is a white Australian, has sparked debate, as the character of Heathcliff is portrayed as having dark skin in the book.

Robbie was last seen as both the lead and producer of the hit film Barbie, which made $1.4 billion worldwide and received eight Academy Award nominations, including one for best picture. She is set to star in Kogonada’s upcoming film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, scheduled for release next year.

Elordi appeared in Fennell's film Saltburn and portrayed Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, which premiered in 2023. He is also set to take on a role in Daniel Minahan's On Swift Horses and will feature in a new adaptation of Frankenstein directed by Guillermo del Toro.

In a January interview with Variety, Robbie praised Fennell's directing talents in Saltburn, stating, "Emerald pulls you into the story right away. She has a real knack for creating the right mood and developing the plot... She gets into your head and explores its darkest corners, making you feel part of the narrative. That's the kind of moment that becomes the hot topic of conversation for weeks."

Fennell was one of the founders of LuckyChap, a company known for producing films like Barbie and Saltburn. They also launched their first live off-Broadway show, The Big Gay Jamboree.

Take a look at additional articles by Edward Moran.