Film Boosts Wuthering Heights Sales, Tourism

Emerald Fennell's latest film adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has ignited a surge of interest in the 1847 Gothic novel, driving up book sales, boosting tourism in Yorkshire and fueling demand for rare editions of the Brontë sisters' works.

The movie, released in theaters ahead of Valentine's Day 2025 and featuring a soundtrack by Charli XCX, presents the story as a romantic fever dream, diverging from the original's darker themes of obsession, resentment and multigenerational strife. While critics have called it polarizing for its stylistic liberties and emphasis on visual flair over narrative depth, the adaptation has drawn a new generation of readers, particularly younger audiences. In the United States, print sales of Wuthering Heights more than doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 180,000 copies, according to Circana Bookscan, a publishing industry tracker. Bookstores reported immediate upticks following the trailer's release in September 2024, with one Brooklyn shop noting multiple daily sales in the weeks after.

This revival extends beyond new purchases to communal reading experiences. Social media...