Margot Robbie: Make Movies for Moviegoers, Not Critics
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Margot Robbie said in a new video interview with GQ Australia—alongside her Wuthering Heights co-star Jacob Elordi and fellow Australian actor Joel Edgerton—that films are better made for ticket buyers rather than film critics.
Robbie says she is not concerned about negative reviews: “I always think about the audience. I’ve never been on set thinking, ‘What will critics think of this?’ I think, ‘What is the audience feeling in this moment? What will their emotional reaction be?’ I believe it’s better to make films for the people who buy the tickets. It’s as simple as that.”
She continues: “I loved working with Emerald [the director of Wuthering Heights] because she always prioritizes the sensory experience over the intellectual concept. She’s incredibly smart and has big ideas, but she’s willing to let a compelling idea veer off course if it means delivering the most exciting option to the audience.”
Wuthering Heights initially held a 73 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 53 reviews. However, after its wide release on Friday, that score dropped to 64 percent based on 227 reviews. Changes made by Fennell to Emily Brontë’s classic—including casting Elordi as Heathcliff, who is described as dark-skinned in the novel—have sparked widespread dissatisfaction and debate.
Wuthering Heights, published a year before Brontë’s death under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, tells the story of destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons. Mr. Lockwood, the tenant of Thrushcross Grange, serves as the primary narrator, learning the history of Wuthering Heights through Nelly Dean, the longtime housekeeper. The tragic and passionate relationship between the orphan Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, forms the emotional core of the story. Robbie plays Catherine Earnshaw, while Elordi portrays Heathcliff. Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, and Shazad Latif also star in the film.
Wuthering Heights grossed $83 million in its opening week.
