Jacob Elordi is explaining the intimate scenes in "Wuthering Heights" as being so carefully planned and choreographed that they were almost like ballet moves.

The gothic romance, directed by Emerald Fennell and adapted from Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, features Elordi as Heathcliff opposite Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw.

Speaking to The Sun, Elordi said filming the romantic sequences felt structured from the start.

Describing the process, he said, "It's like, 'Action' and it's like a horse at the race track – straight out of the gates. It's no different to choreographing a fight scene or a dance sequence."

He further explained that the scenes were so tightly choreographed that even the smallest details of the actors' movements had to be very exact. "It's super-technical," especially about the moments that were not the main, explicit sex scenes but that still had to be very carefully coordinated.

Elordi explained that one scene, which involved physical positioning with Robbie, was carefully planned because of lighting and camera constraints.

"That's choreographed because, in that kind of light, you only have so much space to move," he said.

He added, "So what you do has to fit in the frame and work with the lighting."

Box Office Success Pushes 'Wuthering Heights' Past $150 Million

The film's popularity has extended beyond critical discussion, with strong global ticket sales.

Wuthering Heights is quoted by Deadline to have grossed over $151.7 million worldwide, while the production budget was estimated at $80 million.

The Warner Bros./MRC release scored another $14.2 million at the domestic box office over the weekend, plus it performed quite well outside the U.S. with $26.3 million coming from 76 international markets.

The movie had a global launch of $76.8 million, $34.8 million of which was from North America. In the first three days, it was the biggest opening of the year by far. Before the end of the Presidents' Day long weekend, it was estimated that the film would bring in nearly $40 million domestically.

Casting Debate Surrounds Adaptation

Aside from the box office performance, the film has sparked debate over casting choices. Some fans questioned the decision to cast Elordi as Heathcliff, a character described in Brontë's novel as dark-skinned and compared to a Lascar.

Walter Nicoletti, founder and CEO of Voce Spettacolo, told The Mirror US that awards voters often evaluate how well performances capture the essence of source material. He said, "From my awards voter's perspective, I think that we look for performances that capture the soul of the source material."

He also noted concerns about adaptation choices, saying, "In Emily Brontë's novel, Heathcliff is described as dark skinned and compared to a Lascar. In this specific case, by casting a white actor, there is a risk of sanitizing the visceral and social conflict that makes so tragic and powerful to the story."

Nicoletti described Elordi as a strong box-office draw and said the casting presents "an interesting challenge for Hollywood to prioritize aesthetics over social and political themes of literature."

Tags
Jacob elordi, Margot Robbie