Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi will hit the big screen next year in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of the classic romance novel, Wuthering Heights — and the director hopes it connects with audiences as strongly as a previous blockbuster love story, Titanic.
The first trailer dropped in September and generated buzz for its steamy scenes between Robbie’s Catherine and Elordi’s Heathcliff. The film explores their tempestuous, passion-fueled relationship, shaped by revenge, after they meet while living at the eponymous estate.
In Thursday’s British Vogue cover story, Robbie — who also serves as a producer — teased what audiences can expect. “Everyone’s expecting this to be very, very raunchy. I think people will be surprised. Not to say there aren’t sexual elements and that it’s not provocative — it definitely is provocative — but it’s more romantic than provocative,” she said. “This is a big epic romance. It’s just been so long since we’ve had one — maybe The Notebook, also The English Patient. You have to go back decades.”
The Barbie star added that she and Fennell spent a lot of time discussing the film’s intimate scenes. “What reads to us as hot or exciting or sexy?’ And it’s not just a sex position or someone taking their shirt off,” Robbie said. “It was the little things that we loved as two women in our 30s, and this movie is primarily for people in our demographic. These epic romances and period pieces aren’t often made by women.”
Robbie explained that Fennell had a very specific romantic movie in mind. “In one of our first conversations about this film, I asked Emerald what her dream outcome was. She said, ‘I want this to be this generation’s Titanic. I went to the cinema to watch Romeo & Juliet eight times and I was on the ground crying when I wasn’t allowed to go back for a ninth. I want it to be that,’” the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress recalled before adding that she hopes women “go see it with 10 of their female friends” and thinks “it’s going to be an amazing date movie.”
Titanic, of course, follows Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack and Kate Winslet’s Rose as they fall in love despite different social classes. DiCaprio also starred alongside Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), the actress’ first American film.
Wuthering Heights marks Fennell’s third collaboration with Robbie’s LuckyChap, which also produced Fennell’s previous films Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023). Fennell won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for Promising Young Woman.
As for casting Robbie as Cathy, Fennell said she was the obvious choice. “It’s difficult to find that supersized star power,” she said. “Margot comes with big dick energy. That’s what Cathy needs.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Robbie spoke about the possibility of directing in her future. “That’s kind of where my focus is shifting to. I’ve wanted to direct for 10 years,” she said. “I haven’t rushed into it, but I feel like it’s getting closer to that time when I’m ready to dive into that.”
Warner Bros.’ Wuthering Heights is set to be released in theaters Feb. 13, 2026.
