Already slated to be one of the most controversial movies of 2026, Warner Bros. has released the first teaser for Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Based on Emily Brontë's classic novel (very loosely, I'm assuming), this version seems to ditch the stodgy exploration of class and religion and go full steam ahead into the absolutely undeniable sexual chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Arriving just in time for Valentine's Day, this trailer features some eye-popping cinematography, lush production design, and gorgeous costumes. I know we aren't even into awards season for this year, but regardless of how the film is received, it seems like a shoo-in for those technical categories 18 months from now.
Oh, and there are original songs from Charli XCX. That may seem sacrilegious to fans of the original text, but there have been plenty of more faithful versions over the last 100 years. (I personally prefer the 1992 version with Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff.) Whatever one thinks of Fennell's last two movies (Saltburn and the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman), they are undoubtedly her pure visions onscreen. That's increasingly rare these days.
Wuthering Heights opens in theaters on February 13.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
