Wuthering Heights: Novel Themes and Emerald Fennell’s 2026 Film Adaptation

Introduction: Why Wuthering Heights still matters

Wuthering Heights remains a central work in English literature: Emily Brontë’s only novel has exerted far-reaching influence and continues to provoke discussion about religion, ownership and redemption. The story’s lasting relevance is reinforced by a high-profile film adaptation, keeping Brontë’s themes in public view and prompting renewed interest in the novel’s moral and legal complexity.

Main body: Themes, plot outcomes and the new film

Religious and moral tones

Brontë treats formal religious observance with little respect in the novel. The most strongly religious characters are Joseph, often read as a satire of the “joyless version of Methodism” the Brontë children knew through their Aunt Branwell; Nelly Dean, who repeatedly urges Heathcliff to repent; and Cathy, whose love for both Linton and Hareton contains elements of theological redemption. These figures frame a narrative where conventional piety is questioned and redemption remains an open, contested possibility.

Property, inheritance and the novel’s ending

When Lockwood returns to Wuthering Heights in October, he finds Hareton installed as master while the Michaelmas rents for Thrushcross Grange are being collected by Cathy Heathcliff (or by Nelly Dean on her behalf). Heathcliff has prospective control, directly or through his son, of the landed estates of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. However, he does not control Edgar Linton’s “personal property” or “moveables” in law—assets that are not land. The provided account lists such moveables as money, valuables, furniture (though not tables and chairs), pictures, books and clothes, and also includes the livestock and crops on Edgar’s farms.

Emerald Fennell’s 2026 film

The forthcoming film adaptation, titled Wuthering Heights (2026 film), stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, with supporting roles played by Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes and Ewan Mitchell. Margot Robbie was cast alongside Jacob Elordi in September 2024 and also produces under her label LuckyChap Entertainment, with financer MRC. Anthony Willis will compose the score for the film, after having worked with Fennell on *, and Charli XCX is contributing an album of original songs. Production has started filming in the UK.

Conclusion: Significance and what to watch for

Readers and viewers approaching Wuthering Heights can expect a sustained engagement with themes of redemption, social order and property. The Penguin Classics edition remains a definitive text for those returning to Brontë’s single novel, while the new film adaptation may bring fresh interpretations of character, sexuality and power to a wider audience. Together, the book and the adaptation ensure Wuthering Heights continues to provoke debate about morality and ownership.