Ranking Every Wuthering Heights Adaptation Before Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi Bring the Classic to the Big Screen

Published 12/04/2025, 11:22 AM EST

The moors whisper, the wind howls, and somewhere, someone is rewatching Heathcliff brood like a man auditioning for eternal sadness. Netflix binges, HBO mini-series marathons, and Oscar-winning classics collide in a storm of cinematic obsession.

Each adaptation brings heartbreak, passion, and melodrama, yet none have faced the fresh eyes of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

As Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights waits to be conquered again, the question lingers: which of these earlier versions truly captures her chaotic love and gothic terror?

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1. Wuthering Heights (1939)

Laurence Olivier’s Heathcliff haunted the moors while Merle Oberon’s Catherine floated like a storm-wrapped ghost. Its IMDb rating of 7.5 mirrors the acclaim it earned with eight Oscar nominations, yet only the first generation’s heartbreak appeared.

Passion was selective, leaving the next generation’s drama hungry for attention.

2. Wuthering Heights (2009)

Tom Hardy’s Heathcliff raged across the windswept moors while Catherine’s sorrow mirrored every tragic note. With an IMDb rating of 7.5, the two-part mini-series gave both generations full narrative coverage.

Purists sighed, binge-watchers rejoiced, and the story finally stretched wide, making viewers wonder if cinematic scope could ever catch up.

3. Wuthering Heights (1978)

This five-episode adaptation scored 6.8 on IMDb and gave Emily Brontë’s labyrinthine plot room to breathe. Textual devotion replaced star wattage, every betrayal lingered, and heartbreak extended like a storm.

Patience became a virtue as audiences awaited adaptations that could combine thorough storytelling with cinematic fire.

4. Wuthering Heights (1992)

Ralph Fiennes embodied Heathcliff’s rage while Juliette Binoche’s Catherine burned with restrained fire. With a 6.6 IMDb rating, it finally presented both generations fully.

Emotional resonance sometimes faltered compared to shorter adaptations, showing that completeness does not always equal intensity, and viewers turned eyes toward the next daring effort.

5. Wuthering Heights (1998)

This TV movie scored 6.5 on IMDb and faithfully covered the full narrative, from Heathcliff’s obsession to the next generation’s resolution.

Polite and dependable, it reminded audiences that competence does not always sparkle, leaving them curious for adaptations that dared to shock or seduce with style.

6. Wuthering Heights (1970)

Timothy Dalton’s Heathcliff and Catherine’s doomed love earned a 6.4 IMDb rating, with visuals and music that enchanted while truncating the story.

Passion ended abruptly, leaving longing and frustration as companions. The incomplete tale reminded audiences that some storms mesmerize precisely because they never fully resolve.

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7. Wuthering Heights (2011)

Andrea Arnold’s bleak vision, starring James Howson as Heathcliff, polarized audiences with a 6.0 IMDb score. Raw, gothic, and unromanticized, this adaptation dared to break convention, proving that artistic audacity can be as divisive as true love on stormy moors, and leaving viewers curious for the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi take.

3 Reasons Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie Are Not the Pair to Head a Wuthering Heights Project

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What are your thoughts on which Wuthering Heights adaptation best captures Emily Brontë’s gothic chaos and which one falls short? Let us know in the comments below.

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Shraddha Priyadarshi

1253 articles

Shraddha is a content chameleon with 3 years of experience, expertly juggling entertainment and non-entertainment writing, from scriptwriting to reporting. Having a portfolio of over 2,000 articles, she has covered everything from Hollywood’s glitzy drama to the latest pop culture trends. With a knack for telling stories that keep readers hooked, Shraddha thrives on dissecting celebrity scandals and cultural moments.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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