“Wuthering Heights” director Emerald Fennell made a surprising confession about a certain Margot Robbie scene that was cut from the film.
The scene in question featured the actress’s armpits and was meant to portray a historically accurate element of the period it was set in.
While “Wuthering Heights” was hit with negative reviews upon its release, the Margot Robbie-led movie was a commercial success, grossing over $242 million.
Fennell, during her appearance at the Hay Festival, admitted that it was “unfortunate” that a scene showing Robbie’s “extremely” hairy armpit was cut from the scene.
The director noted that she tried to take a stand on the matter of body hair after growing tired of seeing women in costume dramas with clean-shaven bodies.
Being the professional that she is, Robbie is said to have grown out her hair for this purpose, deciding to stop shaving for her role as Catherine “Cathy” Earnshaw. However, audiences did not get to see the result of her commitment to the part.
“Cathy does have extremely hairy armpits in this version. Unfortunately, the scene where we see them didn’t make it in,” Fennell shared at the festival in Wales on Friday, per The Telegraph.
She continued, “But it was so important to me, because where are the razors these women were using whenever I watch Jane Austen? They’re all hairless, like eels. What’s going on?”
Fennell’s desire for a historical depiction of body hair on women is likely rooted in the fact that certain grooming practices were not a thing during England’s Regency era.
The 2026′ Wuthering Heights’ Film Had Surprisingly Modern Elements
Despite her desire for historical accuracy when it came to body hair, Fennell didn’t seem to mind taking a more modern route for certain aspects of the movie.
Robbie’s character, Cathy, notably donned clothes made from cellophane and plastic, like her see-through wedding gown, which contrasts with the traditional 19th-century wardrobe.
Then there was the inclusion of raunchy scenes in the movie, which weren’t in the original book. These scenes have been heavily debated on by fans and critics, with some branding them as “exhausting.” Also, the movie’s soundtrack was recorded by pop star Charli XCX.
Regarding these choices, Fennell noted, “I don’t mind having Charli xcx because I understand emotionally why she’s there and I understand what she’s saying. There’s that really wonderful suspension of disbelief between you and somebody watching.”
The Margot Robbie-Led Movie Was Shredded By Critics, But Became A Box Office Hit
Following its release, “Wuthering Heights” was met with harsh reviews, with many taking aim at Fennell and the movie’s stars, Robbie and Elordi.
The Times’ Kevin Maher called out Robbie’s role as Cathy, labeling the actress “Brontë Barbie,” seemingly referencing her performance in the 2023 movie, “Barbie.”
Meanwhile, The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey slammed Robbie and Elordi’s performances, claiming that it was “almost pushed to the border of pantomime.”
As for the sex scenes between the co-stars, Collider labeled them “exhausting,” adding that they sometimes “overstay their welcome.”
Fennell certainly faced the bulk of the backlash, with The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw branding her take on Emily Brontë’s book as “an emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire that misuses Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.”
“For Fennell, it looks like a luxurious pose of unserious abandon. It’s quasi-erotic, pseudo-romantic, and then ersatz-sad, a club night of mock emotion,” Bradshaw added in his scathing review.
The Movie Was A Commercial Success
Despite the negative reviews, “Wuthering Heights” still did well commercially, grossing $242 million worldwide on an $8O million budget.
It now sits as one of the highest-grossing films of 2026 so far. The film is also doing well on streaming, debuting on HBO Max at number one worldwide, and topping the streaming charts in over 32 countries just under 24 hours.
Meanwhile, some critics had a more positive stance on the 2026 “Wuthering Heights” adaptation, with the BBC’s Caryn James praising Fennell’s directing especially.
James wrote in her review: “Fennell’s approach is an extravagant swirl: sexy, dramatic, melodramatic, occasionally comic and often swoonily romantic.”
The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin also praised the film, calling it “resplendently lurid, oozy and wild” in a five-star review.
Margot Robbie Was Excited About The Movie’s Raunchier Spin On The Book
Prior to the film’s release, Robbie seemed excited about fans watching the movie, saying in interviews that they should prepare for more steamy scenes, unlike what was written in the book.
“They never really kissed in the book, but we kiss a lot. We kiss everywhere,” the actress admitted, per the Daily Mail. “And there’s so many times where he just picks me up and puts me in a tree, or picks me up with one hand.”
She then talked about how much she enjoyed being lifted by Elordi in certain scenes, noting that it was “really nice, it makes you feel, ‘Oh I’m light as a feather, I’m a tiny little thing.’”
Robbie also shared that she enjoyed Cathy due to how emotionally intense the role was. “I loved playing a character who kind of swings from one wild emotion to the other in an instant,” she said.
