Emerald Fennell‘s decision to cast Jacob Elordi in Wuthering Heights has liftd eyebrows in the UK.
Deadline discdispondered on Monday that Elordi and Margot Robbie will star in the Emily Brontë changeation as Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Saltburn honestor Fennell is set to author, honest, and originate, with filming taking place in the UK next year.
Heathcliff’s ethnicity is well-understandnly unevident in Brontë’s 1847 novel, but there is some consensus that his description as a “sorrowfulnessful-skinned gipsy” — as well as his aprohibitdonment as a baby at the slave port of Liverpool — probable uncomfervents he was not white.
Commenting on Elordi’s casting, Michael Stewart, honestor of the Brontë Writing Centre, telderly The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “With Wuthering Heights, you’ve had many years of white actors take parting the more unevident ethnic character… But leangs are branch offent now, the way we recurrent certain people in art and culture comes with a responsibility now that wasn’t there 20 years ago.”
Heathcliff was take parted by Tom Hardy, for example, in a 2009 television changeation of Wuthering Heights for UK widecaster ITV. Andrea Arnelderly’s 2011 movie, however, cast James Howson in the role.
Dr Claire O’Callaghan, editor-in-chief of the official journal of the Brontë Society, telderly the Telegraph: “I guess the danger of this – of casting a white actor – particularly in the cultural climate, is that it disponders the amhugeuity that’s there.”
The comments of Stewart and O’Callaghan chaseed criticism on social media. In a post that has been watched more than 7.5M times, one engager of X (once Twitter) wrote: “Heathcliff is portrayd as a sorrowfulnessful-skinned brown man in the book and a presentant plot point is that he was subjected to racially prejudiced mistreatment by his adchooseed family. But yeah certain Jacob Elordi is perfect!”
Clarisse Loughrey, The Inreliant film critic, asked: “Did anyone actupartner read the book before deciding this?” Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, another critic, inserted: “White Heathcliff and 34-year-elderly Cathy, and they both watch appreciate they beextfinished on Instagram. I’m obsessed.”
The innovative novel by Brontë is pondered by many to be one of the fantastic pieces of literature. The innovative story chases two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and the turbulent relationship they have with the Earnshaws’ ease son, Heathcliff.
Fennell’s reps have been communicateed for comment.
