Wuthering Heights tops global box office in record debut

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi starrer Wuthering Heights is making waves at the global box office, proving that classic tales still have serious drawing power.

Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, has drawn huge attention, with audiences flocking to theaters around the world.

The cast, including Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Martin Clunes, Ewan Mitchell, and Alison Oliver, has also been widely praised, adding star power to the already high anticipation.

Early estimates suggest Wuthering Heights could earn around $82 million worldwide during its four-day opening weekend. That number breaks down to about $40 million domestically, helped along by the President’s Day holiday, and roughly $42 million internationally.

In less than a week, the film has already become the highest-grossing new release of 2026, narrowly edging past the Russian family movie Cheburashka 2, which made $79.5 million.

The rapid rise of Wuthering Heights puts it well ahead of other English-language releases this year. Films like Send Help, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Mercy, and Iron Lung have all been outperformed in just a few days.

The momentum shows no sign of slowing, as the film continues to draw audiences who are captivated by the romance, drama, and visual storytelling.

With several major releases coming up, including Scream 7, Pixar’s Hoppers, and Project Hail Mary, Wuthering Heights could still hold onto its crown for a while.

The first real contender to challenge its debut numbers is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which doesn’t hit theaters until April 3. That timing gives Emerald Fennell’s adaptation a potential month of record-setting dominance before it faces serious competition.

For a film based on a 19th-century novel, Wuthering Heights is showing that timeless storytelling can still dominate modern box office charts. Its early success confirms that audiences are eager for bold, character-driven cinema, and the film’s impressive numbers make it one of the standout hits of 2026 already.