Literary Purists Furious As Wuthering Heights Trailer Shows Heathcliff Giving Catherine A Labubu

EFFIE BATEMAN | Lifestyle | Contact

The first trailer for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights has left literary purists clutching their pearls this morning, as fans of the 1847 classic pointed out just how far it strays from the source material.

Set for release on Valentine’s Day next year, the film stars Australian royalty Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the cursed lovers Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

It has already copped criticism for whitewashing Heathcliff, who was originally written as Romani, as well as for leaning into the shock-factor moments that have become something of a Fennell signature since Saltburn.

Early test screenings revealed mixed reactions, with audiences unsettled by what some described as an “aggressively provocative” retelling. The film reportedly opens with a public hanging in which the condemned man climaxes mid-execution before a nun fondles the corpse’s visible erection.

This, of course, isn’t the first time a period drama has been modernised, with popular tv shows  Bridgerton and The Great both blending contemporary language, music, and fashion with old-world setting.

However, one moment from the trailer in particular has left viewers not just outraged, but threatening to boycott the film: Heathcliff gifting Catherine a limited edition Labubu, with her name engraved on the collar.

It can also be revealed that test screenings showed Catherine using a rose toy gifted to her by Heathcliff, enthusiastically pleasuring herself in a horse-drawn carriage while Hot to Go by Chappell Roan blasts on the soundtrack.

The scene is intercut with shots of Heathcliff masturbating using freshly churned butter as lube.

More to come.