'Wuthering Heights' stars get candid about Emerald Fennell's inspiring vision

Wuthering Heights actresses Alison Oliver and Hong Chau have shared what inspired them to join Emerald Fennell's upcoming adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic.

As fans will know, Oliver stars as Isabella Linton, while Chau portrays Nelly Dean in the new version, set for release on 13the February, 2026.

Speaking with PEOPLE Magazine at the film's 28th January 2026 premiere, Oliver and Chau addressed the process of bringing the beloved novel to the screen in a fresh way. 

Oliver, 28, revealed she was already familiar with Brontë's novel but was particularly drawn to Fennell’s creative vision.

“With a book that dense and that complex, I think anyone who’s wanting to adapt it, you kind of have to zoom in and focus on the bits of it that you want to examine,” she explained.

“I think Emerald has such a specific vision and point of view… Because I knew her before, I just was like, ‘Oh, this is so brilliant, the way she’s deciding to do this.’ I just love what she’s done.”

Chau, 46, admitted that she deliberately chose not to reread the book.

“I want some distance from the movie and this whole experience and to be able to experience the book as its own thing,” she shared.