Emerald Fennell Wants Audiences to “Cry So Hard You Vomit” in ‘Wuthering Heights’ — Pre-Sales Hint at $35M Opening

Here’s Emerald Fennell describing how she wants people to react when watching her upcoming adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”

In a recent Fandango interview, the filmmaker and her star, Margot Robbie, suggested their aim is for a visceral reaction to the film. Robbie recalled how Fennell spoke about the goal she hoped to achieve with the audience. “One of the first things Emerald said to me was, ‘I want people to cry so hard they vomit.’ I was like, ‘This sounds very appropriate, actually,’” she laughed.

I don’t think I’ve ever had such a reaction to a movie. Hell, has anyone? If this did happen to you, I hope you sought medical attention.

Fennell recently stated that she aimed for “Wuthering Heights” to “become this generation’s Titanic.” She’s described shooting the film as this self‑inflicted emotional challenge — “a kind of masochistic exercise.” This project, in her words, is the film she’s been waiting to make her entire life. Meanwhile, Robbie claims her co-star, Jacob Elordi, is so good in the film that she’s convinced he’s “this generation’s Daniel Day-Lewis.”

On a side note, pre-sales for “Wuthering Heights” are currently strong, hinting at a $30M-$35M domestic opening weekend. This would easily be the biggest box office opener of Jacob Elordi’s career, and Margot Robbie first hit since “Barbie.”

Furthermore, the film recently got stamped with an “R” rating: for “sexual content.” Test screenings had mentioned the notable amount of hyper-sexualized imagery — far more explicit than any previous adaptation of this material. The runtime listed on AMC’s website is 135 minutes.

“Wuthering Heights” has a production/distribution budget reported at around $80M. That figure largely reflects the deal Warner Bros. struck to acquire and back the film after a competitive bidding war — including a higher reported offer of around $150M from Netflix that Fennell and her producers ultimately declined in favor of a theatrical rollout.

“Wuthering Heights” is set to hit theaters on February 13, 2026, via Warner Bros. Pictures.