The Culture Brief
The Culture Brief filters the art world, books, and film through an intellectual lens. A guide to the cultural shifts that shape how we see the world.
Published: Fall 2025
Wuthering Heights
and the Question of Casting
The announcement that Jacob Elordi will play Heathcliff in the new Wuthering Heights sparked controversy almost instantly. For many, it wasn’t just about casting a Hollywood star in a classic adaptation — it was about what this decision says in 2025, when conversations about inclusion and representation in film are no longer fringe, but central.
The whitewashing of Heathcliff is not new. Emily Brontë described him as dark-skinned, “a gipsy,” racially ambiguous, and always marked as an outsider. That sense of otherness is woven into his character: it fuels his anger, his longing, and the prejudice he endures. Yet over the decades, adaptations have cast Heathcliff again and again as white — Laurence Olivier in 1939, Ralph Fiennes in 1992, Tom Hardy in 2009. Each time, the conversation has resurfaced: can you really erase his difference and still claim to tell the same story?
In the past, maybe this was overlooked, shrugged off as artistic license. But today, whitewashing feels different. It isn’t just “not done” — it misses the cultural moment entirely. We’ve shifted in how we view casting. When a role is rooted in a particular minority experience, it feels only natural to cast someone who carries that cultural identity, who understands the weight of that experience firsthand. It’s the same reason Ghost in the Shell was criticized for casting Scarlett Johansson in an originally Japanese role, or why The Last Airbender sparked outrage with its whitewashed leads. We know now how much representation matters. Given ongoing conversations about inclusion, why not get it right?
Of course, there are counterarguments. Jacob Elordi brings with him a built-in audience — younger, global, and guaranteed to draw attention. For production companies, star power still outweighs inclusion. And another argument is that every adapted book is, by definition, an interpretation. Each era reimagines the classics in its own image, sometimes challenging norms, sometimes reinforcing them. Wuthering Heights itself has been adapted in countless ways, and perhaps this is simply one more.
But here’s the thing: reinterpretation and inclusion are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to honor Brontë’s text and update it for our time. It is possible to cast someone who embodies Heathcliff’s outsider status more authentically, while still delivering an audience-worthy performance. And when we’ve seen how much resonance inclusive casting can bring — think of Dev Patel in David Copperfield, or Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid — it feels like a missed opportunity.
In the end, the debate around Wuthering Heights isn’t just about one role, or one film. It’s about how we, as an audience, want our stories told now. Heathcliff has always been about otherness, rage, and longing from the margins. To make him look like the golden boy next door risks stripping him of what makes him powerful.
Literature and film don’t just mirror culture — they shape it. And every casting choice is a decision about who belongs at the center of the story.
Notes
Heathcliff’s description
In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1847), Heathcliff is described as “a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect” and repeatedly marked as an outsider by other characters. His ambiguous racial identity has long been central to scholarly interpretations of the novel.
Previous whitewashed adaptations
Heathcliff has consistently been played by white actors in major adaptations: Laurence Olivier (1939), Ralph Fiennes (1992), and Tom Hardy (2009). The only exception was the 2011 adaptation directed by Andrea Arnold, which cast James Howson, the first Black actor to play the role on screen.
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Scarlett Johansson’s casting as Major Motoko Kusanagi, a Japanese character in the original manga and anime, was widely criticized as whitewashing. The controversy reignited global conversations about the importance of authentic representation in adaptations.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
A landmark in style, but also a landmark in controversy: Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi, a Japanese landlord, is now considered a notorious example of “yellowface” in Hollywood. It remains a reminder of how casting choices can date a film’s legacy, regardless of its iconic status in fashion and culture.
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
Ridley Scott’s biblical epic was criticized for casting white actors (Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton) as Egyptians and Hebrews, with actors of color relegated to servants or background roles. The director defended the decision as commercially necessary, further fueling debate on representation.
Positive examples of inclusive casting
Recent projects like The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019), with Dev Patel in the lead, and Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid (2023), starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, show how reimagined casting can bring fresh cultural resonance and open stories to new audiences.