There's One Good Reason To Tune Into Emerald Fennell's Disastrous 'Wuthering Heights' Adaptation Actorsvaultpro

Adolescense star Owen Cooper made history on September 14 when he won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The 15-year-old actor became the youngest person to win in that category. In the show, Cooper plays a teenager named Jamie, who’s the lead suspect in the murder of one of his classmates. Jamie was a breakout role for Cooper, and he already has another big project lined up.

Cooper will appear in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s book Wuthering Heights, which stars Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, and Hong Chau. Cooper will portray the younger version of the lead male, Heathcliff. The film is the perfect opportunity for Cooper to boost his career and even go for another major award. However, the film’s connection to Emerald Fennell could also prove dangerous for the rising star.

Owen Cooper Plays Young Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’

Margot Robbie wears a wedding dress in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Wuthering Heights takes place in 18th-century Yorkshire. Earnshaw lives in a farmhouse called “Wuthering Heights,” where he raises his family, including his daughter, Catherine. After a trip, Earnshaw adopts a boy named Heathcliff and eventually makes him work as a servant. During his time at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine, but their romance is hindered by their differences in social status.

Owen Cooper plays the younger version of Heathcliff, around the time that he’s adopted by Earnshaw. Although it sounds like it could be a small part, young Heathcliff might actually be a juicy role for Cooper. Many important events happen to Heathcliff when he’s Cooper’s age: He gets adopted, he starts to fall in love with Catherine, and he’s forced to become a servant. Cooper’s role will help define the characterization of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. The trailer already gives a few glimpses of this, with Cooper’s Heathcliff standing alongside Charlotte Mellington’s Catherine in the rain.

Owen Cooper Could Go From Emmy to Oscar Winner

Owen Cooper’s Emmy win signals a prosperous career for the young actor. If Cooper can win an Emmy for his first acting role, he can pretty much achieve whatever he wants. An Oscar wouldn’t be out of reach for the rising star, especially with his upcoming role in Wuthering Heights.

It’s not too uncommon for young actors to get nominated in the Supporting Actor category. Justin Henry became the youngest person to be nominated in the category at 8 years old for his role in Kramer vs. Kramer. Haley Joel Osment, at the age of 11, was nominated for his role in The Sixth Sense but was snubbed by Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules.

The current youngest winner in the category is Timothy Hutton. Hutton won for his role in Ordinary People at the age of 20. If Owen Cooper won for Wuthering Heights, he’d hold the new record. Wuthering Heights will be eligible for the 2027 Academy Awards ceremony, when Cooper will be 17. Even if he doesn’t win for that role, he’ll still have a few more years to try to break the record.

However, Cooper has a good chance with Wuthering Heights. The film is a period piece that’s based on a classic novel, which Oscar voters will surely love. Emerald Fennell’s already an Oscar-winning writer as well, having won Best Original Screenplay in 2021 for writing Promising Young Woman. That film also received four other nominations, including Best Picture. With Wuthering Heights, Fennell could be back at the ceremony again, bringing Cooper along with her.

Keep Owen Cooper Out of the Emerald Fennell Backlash

Although working with someone as popular as Emerald Fennell could help Owen Cooper’s career, it could also harm the public’s perception of him. Just because Emerald Fennell has made a few successful films doesn’t mean everyone respects her. In fact, audiences and critics alike have expressed their annoyance with the director in reviews and on social media.

Fennell’s directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, was well-received with a 90% critics’ score and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Her sophomore film, Saltburn, turned more people against her, with only a 72% critics’ score and a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In his four out of 10 review of the film for MovieWeb, critic Julian Roman writes, “She essentially remakes Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley for the TikTok generation with a focus on glittering style and sensationalism over substance. Efforts to shock, disgust, and titillate devolve into banality. There are few surprises in a film that broadcasts its intentions.”

The trailer for Wuthering Heights is already filled with negative responses to Emerald Fennell’s take on the book. As reported for MovieWeb by Richard Fink, people took to social media to say that the movie looks nothing like the book, or that it looks more like an entry in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. On the film’s trailer on YouTube, many of the top comments echo these remarks. Some responses also made fun of the fact that pop musician Charli XCX will be making music for the film.

These responses highlight the main critiques used against Emerald Fennell, mainly that she does a poor job of blending modern culture with period films or that she oversexualizes her films. Wuthering Heights seems like it won’t be changing either of these issues, especially as test screening audience members have reported that the film is hard to watch. Hopefully, Owen Cooper’s performance will still be enjoyed and won’t be caught in the crossfire as audiences argue about whether Wuthering Heights is a good adaptation.

Wuthering Heights comes to theaters on February 13, 2026.