The translation of the text «Экранизация Грозового перевала: что изменилось в фильме?» into English is: «The adaptation of Wuthering Heights: what has changed in the film?»
14 february 2026 в 01:37
Adaptations of books to screen almost always differ from the original. Now that Emerald Fennell’s version of «Wuthering Heights» has been released in theaters, fans of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel are noticing numerous changes. The film stars Hollywood icons Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. And if you’re not familiar with their story, it’s not a perfect fairy tale.
How do the book and the film relate to each other? In this article, Hollywood Life presents a comparison of the differences you can expect on the big screen compared to the original text. (Warning: spoilers about the film «Wuthering Heights».)
Warner Bros. released the film in theaters on February 13, 2026, so fans can see it on the big screen. The release date on streaming platforms has not yet been announced, but it is likely to appear on HBO Max in a few months.
The most noticeable differences in the film include the absence of Cathy’s older brother, Hindley; Cathy’s father is portrayed as a cruel tyrant; Mr. Lockwood is missing; and, of course, there are numerous sexual scenes. In the book, the tormenting, suppressed feelings between Catherine and Heathcliff are emphasized, while the film depicts several intimate scenes. Moreover, the film ends with Cathy’s death, while the book explores the story of Cathy and Edgar’s daughter.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly before the film’s release, the actress and director defended the choices made by her and the team for the film.
«When you look not only at other adaptations but also at Kate Bush’s song, or Balthus’s lithographs, or many modern illustrations, most of them focus on Cathy and Heathcliff», - she explained. «Because I think that’s really the moment that concludes in the book… And I think I would have made a miniseries and covered the entire story in 10 hours, and that would have been wonderful. But if you’re making a film, and you need to be concise, you have to make those tough decisions».
Regarding the characters she «forgot a bit or combined into one», - Emerald noted that there is «a certain amount of wish fulfillment» in that. She also emphasized how the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet reflects in this story.
«There are about three different meetings and three different speeches, and part of that was about consolidation», - Emerald said. «But we also talk a lot about Romeo and Juliet, and obviously, when we meet Isabella, she talks about such a story and what was missed, and I feel that Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship was about how they miss each other. And so I decided to bring a lot of love forward, and many of those really important conversations, to give them time so that it doesn’t just happen at the end».
As for why she chose to end the film with Cathy’s death without exploring further events, Emerald acknowledged: «It starts where it ends, and it ends where it begins».
«And that’s the essence of love, and that’s the essence of the book, right? It’s forever and cyclical, and so there is no stopping—even when there is a terrible, sad, tragic stop, it’s not quite a stop—because that’s what the book is about», - Emerald concluded. «It's about the depths of human feelings and how they exist in a deep sense, not just physically. And so, I don’t know, it felt like the right way to end the story»
How do the book and the film relate to each other? In this article, Hollywood Life presents a comparison of the differences you can expect on the big screen compared to the original text. (Warning: spoilers about the film «Wuthering Heights».)
Warner Bros. released the film in theaters on February 13, 2026, so fans can see it on the big screen. The release date on streaming platforms has not yet been announced, but it is likely to appear on HBO Max in a few months.
The most noticeable differences in the film include the absence of Cathy’s older brother, Hindley; Cathy’s father is portrayed as a cruel tyrant; Mr. Lockwood is missing; and, of course, there are numerous sexual scenes. In the book, the tormenting, suppressed feelings between Catherine and Heathcliff are emphasized, while the film depicts several intimate scenes. Moreover, the film ends with Cathy’s death, while the book explores the story of Cathy and Edgar’s daughter.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly before the film’s release, the actress and director defended the choices made by her and the team for the film.
«When you look not only at other adaptations but also at Kate Bush’s song, or Balthus’s lithographs, or many modern illustrations, most of them focus on Cathy and Heathcliff», - she explained. «Because I think that’s really the moment that concludes in the book… And I think I would have made a miniseries and covered the entire story in 10 hours, and that would have been wonderful. But if you’re making a film, and you need to be concise, you have to make those tough decisions».
Regarding the characters she «forgot a bit or combined into one», - Emerald noted that there is «a certain amount of wish fulfillment» in that. She also emphasized how the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet reflects in this story.
«There are about three different meetings and three different speeches, and part of that was about consolidation», - Emerald said. «But we also talk a lot about Romeo and Juliet, and obviously, when we meet Isabella, she talks about such a story and what was missed, and I feel that Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship was about how they miss each other. And so I decided to bring a lot of love forward, and many of those really important conversations, to give them time so that it doesn’t just happen at the end».
As for why she chose to end the film with Cathy’s death without exploring further events, Emerald acknowledged: «It starts where it ends, and it ends where it begins».
«And that’s the essence of love, and that’s the essence of the book, right? It’s forever and cyclical, and so there is no stopping—even when there is a terrible, sad, tragic stop, it’s not quite a stop—because that’s what the book is about», - Emerald concluded. «It's about the depths of human feelings and how they exist in a deep sense, not just physically. And so, I don’t know, it felt like the right way to end the story»
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
