Wuthering Heights Becomes an Unexpected Box Office Hit in Early 2026
The new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights has turned into one of the early box office surprises of 2026. Directed by Emerald Fennell, the movie was released by Warner Bros. on February 13, 2026, just before Valentine’s Day weekend. Since then, the gothic romance has earned close to 200 million dollars worldwide, despite having a production budget of about 80 million dollars.
The film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Their performances helped attract strong interest from audiences curious to see a new take on the famous love story. The movie opened strongly during the Presidents’ Day weekend period in the United States, earning around 83 million dollars globally in its first extended weekend. About 37 to 40 million dollars came from the domestic market, while roughly 42 to 45 million dollars came from international territories.
The opening made it the biggest worldwide launch of the year at the time and continued a streak of strong releases for Warner Bros. Within its first week in theaters, the film had already crossed the 100 million dollar mark worldwide, meaning it recovered its production budget very quickly. This happened even though the movie faced mixed reviews and debate before release over its casting choices, costume design, and the more mature tone used in this version of the story.
International markets have played a major role in the film’s success. Around 63 percent of its total earnings have come from outside the United States. The United Kingdom has been one of the strongest markets, bringing in more than 22 million dollars. Other strong territories include Italy and Australia, where audiences responded well to the dramatic romance and visual style of the film.
By the end of February, the film had already passed 150 million dollars globally. As of early March, it is approaching or crossing the 200 million dollar mark. In the United States and Canada, the film has earned around 74 to 75 million dollars so far, placing it among the highest earning films of the year.
The second weekend saw a noticeable drop at the domestic box office. The film moved to second place after the release of GOAT, earning about 14.2 million dollars that weekend. Even with that decline, the movie continued performing well internationally and maintained steady ticket sales.
With a production cost of around 80 million dollars and additional marketing expenses, the film is already considered profitable. Its performance also places Emerald Fennell among the highest grossing female directors for a single film in recent years.
The success of this adaptation shows that audiences are still interested in dramatic stories aimed at adults, even at a time when family films and large franchise movies dominate the box office. As new releases such as Hoppers arrive in theaters, Wuthering Heights continues its steady run and stands as one of the early theatrical success stories of 2026.
Written by Amara Awana