'So many different takes': Wuthering Heights director finally addresses Jacob Elordi casting backlash

Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell has finally addressed ongoing backlash surrounding her most recent project's titular character.

Aussie actor Jacob Elordi, who is white, was cast as Heathcliff in the new film adaptation – a character that has long been regarded by literary scholars as racially ambiguous.

In Emily Brontë's singular work – on which the upcoming film of the same name is based – Heathcliff is described as a "dark-skinned gypsy", with "black eyes" and a "swarthy complexion."

Contextual clues throughout the novel also allude to the character's status as a 'racial outsider' within 19th-century British society.

And now, the director has officially broken her silence on the controversial casting choice.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film's world premiere, Fennell was asked for her thoughts on the fan response to Elordi's involvement.

"Everyone who loves this book has such a personal connection to it," Fennell replied.

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"You can only ever make the movie that you sort of imagined yourself when you read it," she said.

Fennell, whose directorial portfolio includes the likes of Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, revealed her focus was directed towards other aspects of the source material while adapting it.

"I think I was focussing on the sado-masochistic elements of [the character]," she said.

"But that's the great thing about this movie. There are so many different takes."

The announcement of Elordi's casting – opposite fellow Aussie Margot Robbie as Catherine – sent fans of the source material into an uproar, with many online criticising Fennell's choice to hire a white actor for the role.

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In response to these most recent comments, fans expressed their continued disapproval of the choice, with many threatening to boycott the film altogether.

"I'm not watching this," one commenter stated.

"To save you time, she couldn't ever imagine Heathcliff being dark skinned reading the book, so she cast a white guy," another disgruntled fan summarised in the comments.

However others were quick to come to Fennell's defence, throwing their support behind the project in the process.

"Can't wait to see it!" one fan said.

"Always love when she talks about her working relationship with the Queen, Margot! Emerald is brilliant and such a visionary director!"

The casting director attached to the project, Kharmel Cochrane, has previously spoken out about the two leads' perceived "mis-castings," informing devoted fans that the adaptation did not "need to be accurate."

"There's definitely going to be some English Lit fans that are not going to be happy," Cochrane added, per Deadline.

Fans previously questioned 34-year-old Margo Robbie's casting as the 18-year-old Catherine Earnshaw.

But Cochrane urged fans to "wait till you see [the film]" before passing judgement.

The film's stacked cast also includes the likes of Hollywood up-and-comer Owen Cooper, Hong Chau and Shazad Latif.

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