The multihyphenate, whose bold take on the Emily Brontë novel is drawing controversy, also directed the critically acclaimed Saltburn
Book-to-screen adaptations are always hit-or-miss, and Wuthering Heights is no exception. The upcoming film by director Emerald Fennell, based on the novel of the same name by Emily Brontë, is one of the most controversial yet highly anticipated releases of 2026. Despite courting controversy over its hypersexualised tone, the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff (who is “dark-skinned” in the novel), and Margot Robbie’s seemingly period-inaccurate costumes as Catherine Earnshaw – Fennell’s adaptation of the gothic romance is set to have a successful box office opening, based on presales numbers. The film is slated for release on February 13.
In an interview with Fandango, the director admitted that her film is a “version” of the classic rather than a direct adaptation. “You can’t adapt a book as dense and complicated and difficult as this book,” the 40-year-old asserted. “I can’t say I’m making Wuthering Heights. It’s not possible,” she continued, emphasising that her version is the one she remembers reading, which “isn’t quite real”. That is why the film’s title is stylised with quotation marks in promotional material.
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Here’s everything you need to know about Emerald Fennell.
What’s her background?
Director Emerald Fennell attends a photo call for the film Wuthering Heights, in Beverly Hills, California, on January 28. Photo: Reuters
According to her IMDB, Emerald Lilly Fennell was born on October 1, 1985, in Hammersmith, London, to Theodore Alister Fennell and Emma Shirley Fennell Louise. Her father is a jewellery designer who worked with the likes of Elton John and Madonna, per Variety, and her sister, Coco Fennell, is a fashion designer. She reportedly studied at Marlborough College, per entertainment news website The Tab, and later graduated from the University of Oxford.
She’s a multihyphenate
(From left) Jacob Elordi, Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie and British actor Shazad Latif in Paris for the screening of Wuthering Heights on February 2. Photo: EPA
Fennell is a director, writer, producer and actress. She is best known for directing, writing and producing Saltburn (2023), also starring Jacob Elordi, and Promising Young Woman (2020), which won her an Oscar for best original screenplay. She also wrote the second series of Killing Eve, for which she was the showrunner and executive producer. As an actress, Fennell appeared in plays at Oxford and was scouted by United Agents’ Lindy King, per The London Standard. You may have seen her in Barbie (2023), where she played Midge alongside Robbie’s eponymous main character, and The Crown, where she was Camilla Parker Bowles (now Queen Camilla). In addition, Fennell is the author of the books Monsters and Shiverton Hall, among other titles.
