‘Wuthering Heights’ director Emerald Fennell breaks silence following trailer release

Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell opened up for the first time about her controversial Emily Brontë adaptation.

In conversation with Variety on September 29, the 39-year-old addressed the netizens' concerns after the trailer depicted an ‘erotic’ vision for the highly anticipated gothic romance feature.

Fennell said, “I wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it, which means that it’s an emotional response to something.”

She interpreted the book as containing a high level of sadomasochism and informed that it was the reason why people were shocked by it when it was first published in 1847.

The filmmaker added, “It’s been a kind of masochistic exercise working on it because I love it so much, and it can’t love me back, and I have to live with that.”

Fennell admitted that she is a big fan of Brontë and kept most of the dialogue from the film in the script. “I was really determined to preserve as much of her dialogue [as possible]. I couldn’t better it, and who could?”

Notably, Wuthering Heights is led by Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, who will portray the ‘dark skinned’ Heathcliff.

The Oscar winner previously worked with the actor in Saltburn and immediately knew Elordi was her Heathcliff.

Aside from the lead actors, the other notable cast members include Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, and Martin Clunes.

Wuthering Heights will premiere theatrically on February 13, 2025.

For which film did Emerald Fennell win an Oscar?

Emerald Fennell won Best Original Screenplay for her 2020 film, Promising Young Woman. It also earned her nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.

RELATED: Jacob Elordi found co star ‘intimidating’ amid 'Wuthering Heights' set