There’s no single right way to reimagine a literary classic, and I’ve been genuinely curious to see how director Emerald Fennell would put her spin on Wuthering Heights ever since the first photos from her adaptation surfaced. I’ll admit, I was even a little charmed by Margot Robbie’s Cathy in that dramatic, billowing wedding dress (never mind the historical nitpickers—congrats on your English degree, I guess). But the latest images of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff? They’ve left me… conflicted.

Photo: Terry Blackburn / Splash News
Photo: Splash News

Okay, I know I just poked fun at English majors, but let’s be real: Heathcliff’s whole deal is that he’s supposed to be devastatingly, obsessively, genre-definingly hot. Elordi is undeniably good-looking—he’s a Hollywood leading man, after all—but in these early shots, his goofy grin, muttonchops, and gold tooth (seriously?) don’t exactly scream “brooding, magnetic tormentor of souls.” Just my opinion!

Then there’s the fact that Emily Brontë explicitly describes Heathcliff as “dark-skinned.” Sure, period dramas have a long history of whitewashing, but Bridgerton proved audiences are more than ready for diverse casting in corsets and cravats. So, yeah, Elordi feels like a missed opportunity—but who knows? Maybe he’ll surprise us in the actual performance. After all, how much can you really judge from a few blurry paparazzi pics?