Wuthering Heights Adaptation Debuts at $35 Million

Emerald Fennell's take on the classic novel outperforms expectations over Presidents' Day weekend.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights opened to $35 million this weekend, surpassing expectations but falling short of the best openings for literary adaptations. The film, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, had a strong debut but faces questions about its long-term box office prospects. Meanwhile, the animated sports comedy GOAT had a solid $26 million opening, the best for an original animated film since 2020's Onward, and the Chris Hemsworth-led crime thriller Crime 101 debuted in third place with $15.4 million.

Why it matters

Fennell's Wuthering Heights adaptation is the latest in a long line of attempts to bring the classic novel to the screen, with mixed results. The film's performance will be closely watched as a test of audience appetite for literary adaptations, especially in the competitive February release window. The strong openings for GOAT and Crime 101 also highlight the diversity of films finding success at the box office during the Presidents' Day holiday.

The details

In three separate incidents, police said Walker Reed Quinn has been damaging Waymo vehicles since July by removing and swinging his belt, placing a cone on the dome and sensors of the car, damaging the tires and driver's side mirror, and stomping on the windshield. Waymo has faced some resident backlash and instances of vandalism as one of the most visible self-driving taxi companies. San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood has one of the highest instances of property crime in the city, although incident rates have declined somewhat.

  • On July 4, Quinn allegedly dove onto the hood of a Waymo vehicle and covered sensors.
  • On July 29, Quinn allegedly damaged a Waymo's tires and driver's side mirror.
  • On August 11, Quinn allegedly stomped on a windshield while someone was inside.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Walker Reed Quinn

A 45-year-old San Francisco resident who has a history of vandalism and was out on bail for prior cases related to Waymo vehicles.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.