The casting of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in the upcoming film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” has sparked controversy among fans of the classic novel. The film’s casting director, Kharmel Cochrane, recently addressed the backlash during a Q&A session at the Sands Film Festival in Scotland. Cochrane defended the casting choices, arguing that actors don’t need to look exactly like their characters as described in the original text.
“You really don’t need to be accurate. It’s just a book. That is not based on real life.
It’s all art,” she said.
Casting choices spark fan controversy
Many fans feel that 34-year-old Margot Robbie is too old to play 18-year-old Catherine Earnshaw.
Jacob Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff has also been controversial, as the character is described in the novel with ambiguous racial undertones. Cochrane mentioned some of the harsh criticism she’s faced, including an Instagram comment that said she should be shot. She responded, “But just wait ’til you see it, and then you can decide whether you want to shoot me or not.”
The casting director also hinted at more significant departures from the source material in the upcoming film that may upset traditional English Literature fans.
“There’s definitely going to be some English Lit fans that are not going to be happy. Wait until you see the set design because that is even more shocking,” she teased. Reactions on social media suggest that many fans feel it is dismissive to refer to “Wuthering Heights” as “just a book,” considering its substantial historical and cultural significance as Emily Brontë’s only novel, published at a time when women’s writing rarely saw the light of day.
The debate surrounding the casting and adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” continues, with fans divided on whether the creative liberties taken are justified or a disservice to the beloved novel.
