Wuthering Heights Movie 2026 Collides With Crime 101 and the GOAT Movie in a Valentine’s Day Box Office Shake-Up
The 2026 movie version of Wuthering Heights arrived in theaters on Friday, February 13, 2026 (ET), just in time to compete for Valentine’s Day crowds, and it did not come quietly. Emerald Fennell’s new take on the Emily Brontë classic, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, opened as the weekend’s biggest draw while sharing the spotlight with two other fresh releases that hit very different audiences: Crime 101, a star-driven crime thriller, and GOAT, an animated sports comedy built for families.
The timing created an unusually clear test of what “event movies” look like right now: one prestige-leaning romance with gothic heat, one slick genre thriller, and one crowd-pleasing animated romp. All three leaned into recognizable titles and high-concept hooks, and all three benefited from a long holiday weekend that rewards urgency and group outings.
Wuthering Heights 2026: what the movie is, and how it differs from the book
Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is famously messy in the best way: layered narration, shifting sympathies, and a story that sprawls beyond one doomed romance into a generational hangover of obsession and cruelty. The Wuthering Heights movie in 2026 makes a different bet. It emphasizes immediacy and emotional velocity, prioritizing the Catherine and Heathcliff relationship as a central engine rather than treating the later fallout as equal weight.
That choice is already driving the biggest debate around the film. Readers who love the book’s architecture may feel the adaptation narrows what makes the novel endure. Viewers who do not carry the book in their heads may experience the film as a concentrated gothic romance designed to hit hard in a single sitting, which is exactly what Valentine’s Day programming tends to reward.
A quick note for searchers who typed Withering Heights: that misspelling is common, but the title is Wuthering Heights.
Emerald Fennell, Jacob Elordi, Margot Robbie: why this trio matters now
This adaptation also lands at a moment when “auteur plus star pairing” is functioning like a marketing shortcut. Fennell brings a brand of sharp-edged glamour and psychological tension. Robbie arrives with enormous post Barbie visibility, which expands the potential audience beyond period-drama regulars. Elordi, meanwhile, has become one of the most bankable faces for a certain kind of romantic intensity, especially in roles that flirt with danger.
Behind the headline, the incentives are practical. A classic title reduces discovery friction. A buzzy director reassures viewers it will not feel dusty. Stars create social momentum, especially for date-night crowds who want a movie that feels like an occasion rather than an algorithmic pick.
Crime 101: the counterprogramming that looks like a “grown-up night out”
While Wuthering Heights targets romance and drama seekers, Crime 101 positions itself as a cooler, more procedural option for viewers who want tension, momentum, and recognizable star power without the heightened romantic pitch. In a crowded weekend, that matters: couples are not the only audience that turns out around Valentine’s Day, and thrillers often thrive when they can offer a shared adrenaline experience.
The broader industry takeaway is that mid-February is no longer only about rom-coms and tearjerkers. It is about “group-proof” entertainment: something that works for a date, a friend hang, or a solo ticket without feeling off-season.
GOAT movie: why a talking goat is suddenly part of the same conversation
The GOAT movie might sound unrelated to Wuthering Heights on paper, but it fits the weekend logic perfectly. Families and groups with kids are the most reliable counterweight to romantic programming. An animated sports comedy with a straightforward underdog arc provides an easy alternative when one part of the household wants a love story and another wants laughs and bright movement.
The second-order effect is important: when a family title performs well against a big live-action romance, it pressures studios to keep placing animated releases in “adult holiday” corridors, not just summer and winter school breaks.
Valentine’s Day movie season is changing, and the box office is showing it
This weekend’s mix highlights a shift in how audiences use Valentine’s Day releases:
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Romance is still a draw, but not necessarily comfort food
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“Dark romance” and heightened melodrama can play like an event
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Thrillers can function as date movies when they feel glossy and star-forward
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Animation is no longer treated as a niche lane; it is part of the same competitive frame
What we still do not know
Even with strong initial interest, several pieces are unresolved:
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Whether Wuthering Heights sustains momentum after the holiday surge
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Whether book readers become repeat customers or loud skeptics
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How much Crime 101 grows through word-of-mouth versus front-loaded curiosity
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Whether GOAT becomes a steady family performer that outlasts flashier openings
What happens next: realistic scenarios and triggers
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Wuthering Heights holds if conversation stays focused on performances, mood, and “must-see” romance
Trigger: strong second-weekend retention and repeat-viewing buzz -
Wuthering Heights cools if debate hardens into “it cut the point of the book”
Trigger: online chatter centers on omissions rather than impact -
Crime 101 becomes the sleeper hit for adult audiences
Trigger: viewers describe it as tight, rewatchable, and easy to recommend -
GOAT turns into the long-run winner through family repeat business
Trigger: steady weekday matinees and strong word-of-mouth among parents
In short, this is not just a story about one film. It is a snapshot of how modern moviegoing works: recognizable titles, star gravity, and sharply defined lanes competing in the same weekend, with Valentine’s Day serving less as a genre mandate and more as a high-stakes attention test.
