Warner Bros' adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, is projected to open with $70 million to $80 million worldwide this weekend. The film, directed by Emerald Fennell, targets women audiences and arrives amid Elordi's Oscar nomination buzz. It will play in 18,000 screens across the US and international markets.
The 2026 box office kicks off its major weekend on Friday with three studio releases, led by Warner Bros' Wuthering Heights. Starring Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, the R-rated film adapts Emily Brontë's novel and was shot in the Yorkshire Dales. Warner Bros acquired the MRC production for $80 million, outbidding Netflix's $150 million offer.
Projections estimate $40 million to $50 million domestically over the four-day Presidents Day weekend across 3,600 locations, with previews starting at 3 p.m. in North America. Internationally, it anticipates $30 million from 11,600 screens in 79 territories, including France, Korea, Germany, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. Premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema are expected to boost ticket sales.
Tracking shows strong interest among women over 25, comparable to Fifty Shades Darker ($46.6 million opening) and It Ends With Us ($50 million). Women under 25 follow closely in unaided awareness and first-choice metrics. Critics have given it a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The release coincides with Elordi's Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Netflix's Frankenstein, marking Fennell's first major studio wide release since her Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman.
As a comp, Lionsgate's The Housemaid opened to $34.8 million domestically before exceeding $350 million globally. Wuthering Heights' marketing, including Charli xcx's original songs, emphasizes its romantic elements, with Robbie noting it as a provocative epic akin to The Notebook or The English Patient.
