Wuthering Heights: A Gothic Love Story
Source: IMDB
If you’ve walked anywhere around New York City lately, you’re bound to have seen one of the many promotional tactics surrounding an upcoming and anticipated gothic film. Adapted from an old novel by Emily Brontë, the film Wuthering Heights is set to release Feb. 13, 2026.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as the two main characters—and love interests—in this film, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
The brain behind this film is director Emerald Fennell, most known for directing Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023).
The story of Wuthering Heights is all about love and relationships in 18th-century England. Heathcliff is a young orphan who is taken in by the Earnshaws, a wealthy family in the region. The Earnshaws have a daughter named Catherine, and her and Heathcliff form an intense bond. This bond is unfortunately broken when Catherine leaves to marry another man, while Heathcliff runs away. The romance between the two is dictated by jealousy and class divide, following their families through generations.
It is unclear whether the film adaptation will follow the plot as we know it from the novel, but according to the film’s casting director, Kharmel Cochrane, there are “going to be some English Lit fans that are not going to be happy.”
Margot Robbie has additionally claimed that this film is going to be “bananas.”
Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn was a film that took enormous risks in regards to its story. If the craziness of that movie is any indication of how Wuthering Heights will be, then anyone who watches it needs to be prepared to expect the unexpected.
Source: Unsplash
Along with the release of the new movie, a concept album by musician Charli XCX comes out the same day. The album, Wuthering Heights, consists of 12 songs and is said to be the soundtrack for the film. Fennell approached Charli about producing only one song for the film, but after reading the script, Charli wanted to take it a step further and create an entire album.
“I wanted to dive into persona, into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, gothic,” she said.
She felt inspired by the script and created a dozen songs that are both elegant and brutal.
There are three songs off of this album that have already been released as singles that can be listened to. “House” is an ominous song that starts off the album. Its sinister sound makes it feel like it came right out of a horror film. “Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love” are two emotional and existential songs that fit right into the gothic genre, sounding ethereal and tortured. These songs have provided a sneak peak into how the film will feel, and have brought in a wider audience of Charli XCX fans for the film.
If you are a lover of gothic literature and romantic stories, this film is for you. It is just in time for Valentine’s Day, so if you’re looking for something different—yet entertaining—to do, purchase a ticket to go see if you can handle the heat of Wuthering Heights.
What is a gothic film or piece of literature that you love? Leave a comment below.