Fennell on Brontë: a modern adaptation of accidental miscasting or of purposeful multi-ethnicity?

As the release of Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic novel, Wuthering Heights (1847), draws near, clarity of context becomes more vital to our contemporary audience. As a visual method of storytelling, film holds the power to illuminate messages to a wide audience that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access, whether that is due to a decrease in literacy or just a general intimidation of classic texts. Brontë used her gothic tale, set in the Yorkshire Moors, to address themes of race, class, abuse and above all, the persistent nature of love. The subject matter of Wuthering Heights is perhaps even more relevant in our current political and social climate. Which brings us to a point of convergence, as the medium of film and the topical nature of the text could work in tandem to create a message that tasks its audience to reflect on their own interpretation of the themes presented, and possibly, if executed right, could create a lasting impact on modern film culture.

Her white-washed male lead and hypersexualised iteration of the text lend themselves to a critical race reading

And yet, despite this, Fennell’s choices in casting are completely incongruous to both the racial implications of the text and the prevailing debate surrounding race and migration. Criticism surrounding Jacob Elordi’s casting (who happens to be a white Australian actor) as Heathcliff has been pertinent since the release of the cast/players in September 2024. For those unaware, Brontë distinctly describes Heathcliff as: “a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect”. As previously mentioned, his race plays a vital role in the text, as it is the basis of his mistreatment and neglect by the other white British characters. But Fennell chooses to take an alternative approach when asked about her casting choice; she deflects, stating, “I was sort of focusing on the kind of Sado-Masochistic elements of it”. As a white British filmmaker, Fennell’s inattentiveness to depict race relations on screen is certainly not out of the ordinary. But it does somewhat reignite long-held stereotypes concerning men of colour in the media. Her white-washed male lead and hypersexualised iteration of the text lend themselves to a critical race reading. In which, arguably, the only way Fennell could comprehend and communicate a sense of attraction to a character, who is used to represent racial othering in Victorian society, is to strip him of his noticeable ethnic features and to emphasise his sexuality through the strikingly modern lens of BDSM.

Fennell subconsciously presents us with a regurgitation of the United States of America’s Nineteenth Century government propaganda scheme, coined the ‘Yellow Peril’

It is perhaps important to note that we do live in post-Bridgerton society. In which a showrunner or director is free to take artistic liberties in depicting historical characters. But Fennell’s justifications are odd, as they do not provide any legitimacy to the source material. If Fennell chose to create an original piece that was loosely inspired by Brontë’s novel, then her creative flexibility would hold. Yet Fennell heavily relies upon the Intellectual Property of Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, perhaps as a marketing gimmick or feasibly in admiration of the acclaimed Victorian novelist. To Fennell’s credit, she has emphasised the use of quotations in the poster for the titular film. Stating, “I can’t say I’m making Wuthering Heights, it’s not possible.” Her choice in casting Shazard Latif, a British actor of both English and Pakistani descent, in the role of Edgar Linton is commendable, as his character is portrayed as a mild-mannered gentleman. Brontë used Edgar Linton as a civilising character foil to Heathcliff’s wild nature. And yet, echoes of racial stereotypes can still be found in this casting choice. As the two love interests ironically differ from their original ethnicities, one being a sexually capable and wild white male and the other a kind but somewhat passive and docile Asian male. Fennell subconsciously presents us with a regurgitation of the United States of America’s Nineteenth Century government propaganda scheme, coined the ‘Yellow Peril’, in which Asian men were divorced from their masculinity, often depicted in an asexual manner within the media.

But it seems we will have to wait for “Wuthering Heights” February 13 release before we can truly make decisive comments on Fennell’s casting choice, as to whether a portrayal of a white Heathcliff and an Asian Edgar Linton informs the narrative of the classic gothic tale.