The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast Wuthering Heights with Emerald Fennell and J.J. Abrams (Ep. 601)
Feb 27, 2026
Emerald Fennell, film director, writer and producer known for stylized, provocative adaptations, discusses her Wuthering Heights. She chats about tonal balance between horror, comedy and desire. She describes surreal production choices like giant strawberries and plaster hands, her approach to adapting Brontë, and collaborating with Charli XCX on a bold soundtrack.
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Episode notes
Quotation Marks Signal Emotional Version
- Fennell used quotation marks in the film title to signal it's an emotional response rather than the original novel itself.
- She cites classic adaptations that used quotes as respectful distance from source material.
Design As Emotional Landscape
- Production design prioritized emotional surrealism: Wuthering Heights is overtaken by malignant nature; Thrushcross Grange contains nature under glass.
- That guiding contrast shaped sets like the skin room and taxidermy-filled interiors.
Walking Through Soho With Margot's Hair
- For the film's opening hair animation Emerald used Margot Robbie and Jacob's real hair, and Margot personally handed Emerald a handful of her hair.
- Emerald recalls walking through Soho clutching Margot Robbie's hair as a surreal production moment.
