A classic is a classic for a reason.

Wuthering Heights has been deemed a literary masterpiece for over a century, and that status has brought with it multiple on-screen adaptations. Now, two centuries later, we are waiting in anticipation for a new, refreshed adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 19th-century novel. Director Emerald Fennell, known for her satirically provocative movies Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, will present a distinctive version starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

The two lead actors discussed the project in a virtual roundtable interview with The Heights and other college newspapers. “Wuthering Heights” will be in theatres on Feb. 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Robbie is known for her wide range of stellar performances, from an Olympic figure skater (I, Tonya) to none other than Barbie herself (Barbie). Despite decades of acting under her sleeve, this role posed a new challenge for Robbie: portraying an 18-year-old. That said, the real-life age gap was not a hindrance to the plot. If anything, Robbie’s maturity in acting is what allowed her remarkable portrayal of a character as complex as Catherine Earnshaw. 

The charming manipulator trope seems to follow Elordi—from Nate Jacobs in Euphoria to Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. The same is true of Heathcliff in Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Fennell’s version of the literary classic, however, comes with a caveat: for most of the screenplay, Heathcliff (Elordi) is a mere victim of Cathy’s (Robbie) twisted games. He is not given the time or space—and we thank the director for that—to reach the literary zenith of his vindictiveness.

The quotations in the title“Wuthering Heights” are there for a reason. The movie is not exactly a faithful adaptation, but rather a reimagination of the Victorian novel—precisely what Fennell had in mind while reading it as a teenager. Together, Robbie and Elordi deliver Fennell’s vision of this universe in a spectacular performance: raw, toxic, and passionate. 

“Some movies are designed to make you think, and some movies are designed to make you feel—this is all feeling,” Robbie said.

When asked about the preparation that goes into playing characters that have existed for centuries, that have been adapted and readapted, Elordi explained that he appreciates what is undoubtedly a unique process.

“I think that’s the best part of it. There is so much material,” Elordi said. “You have this wide net that you can cast over the work, and it is all inspiration you can draw from.”

Likewise, Robbie delves into the creative liberties that come with portraying such a beloved literary character. Rather than pressure, she views the film as a chance to honor Fennell’s version of Cathy.

“I think because Emerald’s take on the material is so unique to her and her experience reading it as a 14-year-old, it releases the burden a little bit for us in that it is very much an interpretation of the novel,” Robbie said. “I focused on honoring the script, Emerald’s version. She wrote incredible characters.”

Though the characters might not be a carbon copy of Brontë’s creation, the all-consuming love between Cathy and Heathcliff is just as intense in “Wuthering Heights” as it was in the book. As actors, Robbie and Elordi agree that pain is the foundation of the characters’ relationship—it’s the emotion that dictates their every action.

“They use pain to tell each other they love each other—it’s part of their language,” Elordi said.

This never-ending cycle of emotional abuse escalates as the minutes on screen go by. The audience becomes immersed in the obsessive relationship between the main characters, vouching for their coupling despite its destructive nature.

“It is the most sado-masochistic relationship I can think of,” Robbie said. “They torture each other, and they torture themselves. And they love each other, and they love themselves. And they hate each other, and they hate themselves.”

Lovers of the quintessential Victorian novel can expect a visceral and poignant reimagination of the tale, with a focus on the couple’s relationship rather than Heathcliff’s individual trajectory.

“There was never a question of ‘Will [Fennell] be able to do this justice?’” Robbie said. “She approaches everything with such artistic integrity and passion, and that’s all you could really hope for.” 

Fennell’s own connection to the novel, even at a young age, makes the screenplay all the more special, explained Robbie.

“If someone was adapting a book that I love—and I love Wuthering Heights—I’d want to know that the person adapting it, depicting it, and interpreting it cared about it,” Robbie said. “And she does—deeply. Really, really deeply.”