The upcoming film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” is receiving significant criticism over its casting choices.

Reports indicate that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi will portray Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, respectively, in a version directed by Emerald Fennell, as noted by Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.

Following the announcement, social media users expressed their discontent, particularly regarding Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff, who in the original 1847 text is described as having “dark skin.”

YSL News has contacted the representatives for Robbie, Elordi, and Fennell for comments.

One post on X stated, “emerald fennell you are not seeing the pearly gates,” pointing out the discrepancy between the book’s description of Heathcliff and a photo of Elordi.

Another user commented, “Heathcliff’s character in Wuthering Heights is clearly described as dark-skinned and Romani, and his background as a person of color shapes his whole narrative as someone experiencing racial discrimination from his adoptive family.”

A different user remarked, “so what we’ve learned is that emerald fennell has not read wuthering heights,” critiquing Elordi’s casting.

Past adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” have also featured white actors in the role of Heathcliff, such as Tom Hardy and Ralph Fiennes. A notable exception was a 2011 film by Andrea Arnold, which featured James Howson, a Black actor, as Heathcliff. This casting was highlighted as he was considered the first Black actor to portray this character on screen.

Arnold stated in a 2012 NPR interview, “In the book, it was evident that he wasn’t white-skinned.”

She referenced a passage from the book — ‘Who knows but your father was Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen.’ — to support her claim about Heathcliff’s race during an interview with IndieWire.

She remarked, “That’s not something you say about a person from Yorkshire.” She added that when Heathcliff first arrives, he communicates in a language the others cannot understand. Arnold expressed surprise that it took Hollywood so long to cast a Black actor as Heathcliff, noting the presence of a significant slave port in Liverpool during that era, suggesting it’s plausible that Heathcliff could have been the son of a slave or arrived on one of those ships.

With the new adaptation’s casting choices, some fans cited Arnold’s version as a benchmark for future adaptations. One post on X received 14,000 likes and stated, “Sorry, but there’s no need for further adaptations of Wuthering Heights when the 2011 film by Andrea Arnold is already out there.”

Apart from concerns about potential whitewashing, other fans simply felt that Robbie and Elordi weren’t the ideal choices for their parts, with Dev Patel often mentioned as a preferred Heathcliff.

“No offense to Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, but they lack the depth of psychological torment needed to portray Cathy and Heathcliff,” one X user noted. “A Wuthering Heights adaptation requires actors who are more unconventional.”

Fennell originally made her directorial debut in 2020 with “Promising Young Woman,” which earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won for Best Original Screenplay. However, her subsequent film, “Saltburn,” received mixed reviews and was criticized for its shocking and explicit sexual themes. Despite starring Elordi alongside Barry Keoghan, the film failed to secure any Oscar nominations.