Margot Robbie in bridal

From the moment it was announced that Emerald Fennell would be writing, producing, and directing an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, there was no way anyone would be normal about it. Right now it’s still unclear if Emerald is setting her story in the original period or if it will be some kind of modern take. 

But most of the discourse, to date, has been about Jacob Elordi in the role of Heathcliffe since he’s described in the novel as person with dark skin which is one of the reasons he was bullied when he was brought home by Mr Earnshaw. Heathcliffe’s othering forms the basis of his resentment and fuels his obsession for revenge. Jacob Elordi looks like what Heathcliffe was punished for NOT looking like so the criticism is not unfounded. So far we’ve yet to see what Jacob looks like as Heathcliffe but there are now photos of Margot in character as Catherine Earnshaw – you can see those here and the discussion has shifted over to her appearance.

Most of the complaints seem to be that Margot, who is 34, looks too old to be Cathy who would have been 17-18ish when she married Edgar. Here’s the thing about Margot Robbie – from the moment she started landing big roles in Hollywood (she would have been around 20/21 when she was in Pan Am), she arrived fully formed, a woman. Not unlike Julia Roberts who was the same age when she was in Pretty Woman. 

Margot has a mature look and I, personally, don’t hate it for Cathy. Not only because maybe back in those days when the living was a lot more rough and nobody was relying on Korean skincare, people might actually have looked older than they were by today’s standards but also because…like…these fictional characters, in their time, were teen brides. And in Cathy’s case, a teen bride who dies in childbirth. If we are bitching about Margot looking too old for the part, it would mean that what we really want is to see a teenager in the role and…well…I, personally, don’t. I’m good with a 30something year old playing whatever age Emerald Fennell has decided that her Cathy will be.

What’s more critical is her chemistry with Jacob’s Heathcliffe, and how these two will pull off Cathy and Heathcliffe’s f-cked up love story. Cathy and Heathcliffe’s “romance” was abusive, cruel, deeply unhealthy. But they’re also two very attractive and sexy people who will probably do attractive and sexy and horny things to each other on screen. The TikToks that will inevitably be shared about how these two mindf-ck each other over and over again will be unhinged.