The first billboards for the new Wuthering Heights movie have dropped, and, unsurprisingly, they’re causing as much chatter as the trailer did. Emerald Fennell, the Academy Award-winning director behind Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, is taking Emily Brontë’s classic and twisting it into something that’s clearly not your high school English class adaptation. The trailer shocked viewers, and now the billboards are keeping the controversy alive.
Reddit users were first to share snaps of the new campaign. One billboard for Wuthering Heights shows Margot Robbie sprawled on the ground, hands pressing into skin you can clearly see the veins on. The caption reads, “Drive me mad.” It’s blunt, provocative, and leaves very little to the imagination. Another focuses on the lovers’ hands. That could have been subtle. But no, the caption “Come undone” still leans heavily into sexual territory. And then there’s the final image: Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, their faces aren’t visible, but Heathcliff’s hands are on her chest. Once again, the tagline repeats: “Drive me mad.”
Predictably, reactions are mixed. One Redditor wrote, “Choosing to believe for my peace of mind that we’ve been too reactive and Fennell has something actually subversive/experimental planned with this.” Another simply asked, “For sure going to be experimental. The question is will it work?” Some weren’t convinced. “The actual experimental/subversive take would be to adapt the book as is. Fennell is going to try to be subversive and is turning Wuthering Heights into erotic BookTok slop,” one user declared. Another added, “Based on the marketing and Fennell’s track record, there’s no way she has any business making a period piece.”
There’s also speculation about timing. Some think Warner Bros. could move the release of Wuthering Heights from 2026 to late 2025, especially with billboards hitting the streets so early. One Redditor even guessed a Christmas release might be in play, noting that the studio currently has nothing lined up for Q4.
It’s not the first time a Wuthering Heights adaptation has stirred debate. There have been four major versions (in 1939, 1970, 1992, and 2011), and none have ever claimed the definitive title. There’s always been room for a fresh take, but this one is pushing boundaries in ways fans might not be ready for. One user summed it up: “For my own peace of mind, I’m not considering this movie a Wuthering Heights adaptation but an adaptation of one of those steamy bodice-ripping romance books you find in the grocery store.”
The Wuthering Heights billboards and trailer make it clear that subtlety isn’t on the table. Instead, the film is leaning into the erotic and experimental in a way that’s already sparking debates about taste and faithfulness to the source material. That’s so 2025!
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