The highly anticipated adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel Wuthering Heights is facing an unexpected box office challenge. Despite strong pre-release buzz and the star power of leads Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, the film directed by Emerald Fennell stumbled out of the gate, earning just $11 million on its opening day. What this really means is that the $80 million production will need a major Valentine's Day surge to avoid becoming an early-year box office disappointment.
Tepid Reviews and Audience Reaction
While critics have been somewhat divided on Fennell's bold, stylized take on the Gothic romance - the film holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes - the lukewarm audience reception is more concerning. Wuthering Heights earned a middling B grade on CinemaScore, suggesting that general moviegoers weren't fully won over by the director's vision.
The bigger picture here is that strong word-of-mouth and walk-up ticket sales over Valentine's Day weekend will be crucial for the film to recover. As Deadline reports, the typical front-loaded nature of female-driven dramas means Wuthering Heights could see a steep drop-off in the weeks ahead if it can't capitalize on the romantic holiday.
A Make-or-Break Weekend Ahead
Industry analysts are now projecting a more conservative 4-day opening weekend gross of around $40 million for Wuthering Heights, down from earlier $50 million+ estimates. TheWrap reports that the film will need exceptional Valentine's Day walk-up business to reach the higher end of that range.
The stakes are high for Warner Bros. and production partners MRC and LuckyChap Entertainment, who will be hoping Wuthering Heights can find the same success as Fennell's previous acclaimed film, Promising Young Woman. With the added pressure of recent coverage comparing it to the telenovela boom, the next few days could make or break this literary adaptation's theatrical run.