NEED TO KNOW
Fans of the classics are excited to see director Emerald Fennell’s take on Wuthering Heights.
The much-buzzed-about film, an interpretation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 gothic novel, will see Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi play out the doomed romance between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw as jealousy, obsession and class divide spiral into a cycle of revenge that haunts their families for generations.
It’s far from the first time that the classic has been adapted for the screen. With over 30 adaptations for film and TV over the last 100 years, fans cannot get enough of seeing the classic story played out with different directors at the helm and different actors portraying Heathcliff and Catherine’s story.
Ahead of the latest adaptation, here’s where you can find and stream all the previous versions ahead of the Feb. 13 release.
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Wuthering Heights (1939), starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon
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Despite producer Samuel Goldwyn’s concerns that the script was too dark for a romance, the 1939 version became a gold standard classic among renditions of the film. Viewers who also read the novel note that only part of its action is covered in this version, which is also set in the nineteenth century instead of the eighteenth century.
Where to stream: Tubi, Plex, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV
Wuthering Heights (1958), starring Richard Burton and Rosemary Harris
Everett
This take on Wuthering Heights was aired as an episode of CBS’s DuPont Show of the Month. The version was believed to be lost to history until 2019, when Paley Center for Media’s research manager, Jane Klain, discovered the kinescope of the broadcast in their archives. Turner Classic Movies aired it for the first time since 1958 in Dec. 2019.
Where to stream: Tubi, SlingTV, Amazon Prime Video
Wuthering Heights (1970), starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall
McCarthy/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty
Like the 1939 version, Wuthering Heights was only focused on part of Brontë’s novel. Unlike all the versions before it, it was the first to acknowledge suggestions of incest that had been discussed by many readers of the novel over time.
Where to stream: Pluto, Tubi, The Roku Channel, MGM+, Amazon Prime Video
Wuthering Heights (1978), starring Ken Hutchison and Kay Adshead
BBC
The BBC adaptation came almost a decade after the network first aired a version of Wuthering Heights, which inspired a young viewer who would write a song about it.
Kate Bush’s first hit single, “Wuthering Heights,” kicked off 1978. It came from the perspective of Catherine, begging Heathcliff to let her in, inspired by Bush’s viewing of the 1967 version, which heavily influenced the music video that came along with the single. The fact that the song came out just months before this film intensified the hype around this version. It’s also recognized as one of the most faithful-to-text adaptations of the novel.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Brit Box
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1992), starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche
Moviestore/Shutterstock
The 1992 version, appearing with a longer title as a result of copyright issues, featured a notable performance by Ralph Fiennes. He was so dedicated to the role he insisted on keeping a scene where Heathcliff hits his head in frustration over his pining, drawing blood as he recreated them in his own takes. Fiennes’ intensity caught the eye of Steven Spielberg, who then thought of the actor for his 1993 film, Schindler’s List.
Where to stream: Pluto, Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV
Wuthering Heights (1998), starring Robert Cavanah and Orla Brady
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The 1998 adaptation of Wuthering Heights was another that leaned faithful while bringing in more modern elements as far as clothing and language. The role of Catherine was split between Sarah Smart, who played a younger Catherine, and Orla Brady, who played the character in adulthood. Four years later, Smart starred in BBC’s Smarthouse, a gender-swapped Wuthering Heights in which Smart played Carol, the Heathcliff character.
Where to stream: Pluto, Amazon Prime Video
Wuthering Heights (2009), starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley
ITV/Shutterstock
The 2009 version of Wuthering Heights is most notable for the fact that two stars of the classic fell in love in real life. Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley met after being cast as Heathcliff and Catherine and fell for each other, tying the knot in 2014.
Where to stream: Plex, PBS, Amazon Prime Video
Wuthering Heights (2011), starring James Howson and Kaya Scodelario
Moviestore/Shutterstock; Ecosse/Kobal/Shutterstock
The 2011 adaptation of Wuthering Heights went through many casting woes before coming to fruition. The role of Catherine was reportedly originally offered to Natalie Portman, with four different actresses, including Lindsay Lohan, considered before Kaya Scodelario was ultimately cast. With Heathcliff, director Andrea Arnold originally wanted to cast a member of the traveler community in the role, but faced backlash and ultimately looked for someone who more broadly appeared to be of mixed race.
Where to stream: Pluto, Tubi, AppleTV, Amazon Prime Video
