Literature vs. Film: Inaccuracies in Fennell’s Wuthering Heights
Brontë’s Wuthering Heights takes place in the late 18th and early 19th-century Georgian era of England. The novel is inherently tragic; It was not widely accepted by readers when it was published in the Victorian era. Now, in the 21st century, it is critically acclaimed and has become a pillar of Western literature. The novel itself is important to millions of readers across the globe, so you can imagine the outrage when the lead casting director for 2026’s Wuthering Heights, Kharmel Cochrane, claimed the novel was “just a book” as a defense for historical and character inaccuracies.
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Most significantly, Cochrane is receiving backlash from skeptical viewers because she decided to cast Elordi, a white man, for the role of Heathcliff, who is canonically understood as non-white. This criticism is rational since Heathcliff’s physical presentation plays a large role in the characters’ prejudice against him in the novel. Many other adaptations of Wuthering Heights have also used white actors to play the role of Heathcliff, but viewers are upset about the continuation of such casting decisions.
Upon other criticism from viewers, including Elordi and Robbie’s inaccurate ages relative to the novel’s characters, Cochrane attempts to schmooze unhappy literature fans: “Wait until you see the set design.”
The film’s trailer was released in early September, and fans feel robbed of actors who they believe could’ve played a better Heathcliff. The most popular fancast? Dev Patel.
Patel, most known for his role on the U.K.’s Skins and as the co-writer, director, producer, and star of action-thriller Monkeyman, is a popular face in many standoms across social media. Aside from his charm and physical appeal, Patel represents an archetype that is not often seen in mainstream Hollywood films. The fans want historically accurate, lesser-known actors for the character of Heathcliff. Fennell and Cochrane instead figured viewers wanted an A-lister with a massive portfolio who is, yet again, white.
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Fennell and Cochrane’s intentions are likely not evil or conniving like many upset literature and film fans assume. However, observing each prior film adaptation of Wuthering Heights allows viewers to understand why filmmakers have dropped the ball and deliberate why this might be.
Fans Want Fresh Faces
The yearning for fresh faces is not exclusive to Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.
Elordi is always the punching bag… But there’s truth in the repetition of not only his face in cinema, but also his presence in the criticism of cinema. One TikToker jokes that The Hunger Games fans are excited about the lesser-known actor who was cast to play the role of Haymitch in the upcoming prequel, especially because the alternative would have been Jacob Elordi in a blonde wig. As much as you or I would love to see Elordi in a blonde bob coaching Katniss Everdeen on how to drink an old-fashioned, we should probably keep that idea for Saturday Night Live.
Austin Butler has allegedly been cast to play Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino’s film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. This “news” is bordering on a rumor, and even still, viewers remain unenthusiastic until another actor is set to reprise Christian Bale’s role in the first film adaptation, Mary Harron’s American Psycho, which is nothing short of a sensational portrayal of Bateman. American Psycho fans claim that Hollywood is guilty of “recycling the same five actors” and that a remake is not necessary to honor legendary cinema. The American Psycho fanbase is particularly dedicated to preserving Bale’s portrayal of Bateman, musing that Butler will not do the role justice as an allegedly lesser-capable actor. If it were scientifically possible, I’d bet money that Hollywood would fuse Jacob Elordi, Austin Butler, and Paul Mescal into one superhuman actor to be used in every leading male role for the rest of time.
Hollywood is a business first and foremost, so it’s understandable (to an extent) that casting directors opt for the big name instead of a lesser-known actor on the come-up. Without an A-lister on the scene or the remake of an already widely known film from the past, many viewers wouldn’t even tune into the trailer. The weight of casting decisions spills into the marketing and finances of cinema, but when do we start prioritizing the art?
iPhone Face, Period Pieces, and 21st Century Cinema
The term “iPhone face” rose to popularity in 2023 in response to the actors cast in the period-piece series Daisy Jones & The Six. “iPhone face” refers to actors who play a character in period pieces, but often look like they are too modern to play the role. Many factors play into this phenomenon, but the three main culprits are cosmetic surgery, injectables, and perfect teeth. Cosmetic enhancements and veneer-esque chompers were few and far between, if not completely nonexistent, before the 1970s.
Aside from Margot Robbie being the latest victim of “iPhone face” discourse in popular media, Paul Mescal and the rest of the actors cast for Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopics are currently under the pop culture microscope.
There’s no group more near and dear to most hearts than The Beatles, so it’s unsurprising that fans are upset about the cast of the upcoming biopics. Paul Mescal is set to play Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson is set to play John Lennon, Barry Keoghan is set to play Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn is set to play George Harrison. Users are skeptical of Mescal’s ability to play McCartney and are critical of the seeming unlikeness of Mescal compared to McCartney. Looks aren’t everything in a lot of films, but in a biopic… It’s kind of important.
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The common thread between film adaptations, biopics, and cinema in general in this decade is the complete lack of versatility regarding film casting. Whether this presents itself through historical inaccuracies, film reboots nobody asked for, biopics nobody asked for even more… One thing is clear: Hollywood has its priorities mixed up.
Jacob Elordi, if there’s ever a David Bowie biopic, stand BACK.
