Emily Brontë’s acclaimed 1847 novel Wuthering Heights is receiving yet another movie adaptation, with Emerald Fennell set to helm the project. Margot Robbie has already been roped in to portray the leading character of Catherine Earnshaw. She will be partnered by up-and-coming Hollywood A-lister Jacob Elordi, who is set to embody Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. However, Elordi’s recruitment has attracted much backlash due to the ambiguous ethnicity of Heathcliff’s character.
Jacob Elordi’s casting as ‘dark-skinned’ Heathcliff leads to major backlash
Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff has generated controversy as the character is said to be a “dark-skinned gipsy.”
While his origins have long been subject to debate, Heathcliff is generally considered to be a non-white character. The theory is backed by his abandonment at Liverpool’s slave port as an infant. As such, many have opposed Jacob Elordi’s inclusion in the Wuthering Heights cast.
Brontë’s novel, originally released in 1847, follows the journey of two conflicting families, namely the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The accredited piece of literature also puts much focus on the erratic relationship shared between the two clans as well as the Earnshaws’ foster son, Heathcliff.
Reacting to Jacob Elordi’s casting in Wuthering Heights, Michael Stewart, director of the Brontë Writing Centre, expressed his thoughts on the portrayal of ethnic characters in pop culture. “With Wuthering Heights, you’ve had many years of white actors playing the more ambiguous ethnic characters. But things are different now, the way we represent certain people in art and culture comes with a responsibility now that wasn’t there 20 years ago,” Stewart said in a conversation with The Daily Telegraph.
Dr. Claire O’Callaghan of the Brontë Society also seemed to oppose the casting. The acclaimed editor-in-chief raised concerns over Jacob Elordi’s enlistment in Wuthering Heights as “it overlooks the ambiguity that’s there.” Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent and renowned film critic Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also shared similar opinions on the topic.
Despite the apparent controversy, filming for Wuthering Heights is expected to commence in the UK next year.
