Overview

• Speaking at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival, Fennell said the book “cracked me open” and described her film as an emotional, “primal, sexual” response.
• She emphasized that Brontë’s novel contains “an enormous amount of sadomasochism,” which she aims to reflect on screen.
• Fennell defended casting Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, citing Robbie’s commanding presence and Elordi’s resemblance to an illustration from an early edition.
• A teaser released earlier this month drew polarized online reactions to its eroticized imagery, while Fennell says much of the dialogue is verbatim and the film concentrates on the first half of the story.
• Theatrical release is set for Valentine’s Day 2026, as unverified test‑screening accounts continue to circulate about graphic content.