Considering it’s a mere 2,5 months until the thing is set to come out (probably more like two months, as it’s supposed to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, which I think is in the first half of September – don’t quote me on that), I really hope there are no more changes to the casting of Wuthering Heights (2011).

According to the little information available, at least with the amount of research I’m willing to do on the subject at the moment (it’s my birthday, I’m allowed) … the cast list is surprisingly lacking. I don’t mean it because I don’t really recognise any of the names based on names alone – when I look up pictures in a bit, I reckon there will be a lot of “oh it’s HIM/HER!” (no good with names) – but because they only list nine people. Where’s Nellie? Where are everyone else? Like … Hindley? Cathy/Edgar’s & Heathcliff/Isabella’s kids? Young Cathy/Heathcliff? Very odd.

Oh well. Let’s take a look at who’s playing who of those nine …

Catherine Earnshaw – Kaya Scodelario

She’s young, and she hasn’t got many titles to her name yet (that would be “because she’s young”), but she’s been in things like Skins, of which I have only seen series 5 and she was in … series 3?

Heathcliff – James Howson

The only thing listed on IMDb is Wuthering Heights, so I haven’t got a clue, but I think he looks kinda familiar? Interesting and controversial (I bet) choice to have a black man as Heathcliff, but considering how he’s described as being dark in the book … sure, works for me.

Edgar Linton – James Northcote

Cathy’s unfortunate husband is currently on stage in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, this man has only been listed as a very lowly assistant director (third + trainee) before, so this is his first attempt at film acting. But he still looks familiar? Or does he just look like someone else?

Isabella Linton – Nichola Burley

Edgar’s sister and the unfortunate wife of Heathcliff has got a whopping 20 titles to her name already, mainly TV, so she’s definitely got some experience. So far, I’m struck by how young everyone is, but if it’s meant to appeal to the Twilight fans, well, I guess that’s what you get.

Frances Earnshaw – Amy Wren

Ohh Hindley’s spoiled wife gets my vote just for being a redhead! She’s been in a few things, and also has a past as a costume supervisor. I wonder what she’ll think of the costumes in this production? But yeah, who’s playing Hindley?

Joseph – Steve Evets

Joseph is the indecipherable Yorkshireman servant at the Heights who likes Biblethumpin’ and God, mainly. Will we need subtitles to understand him? Time will tell! Actor-wise, finally someone with a bit of mileage! I think he was the crazy drunk bloke on Tom Hollander’s BAFTA-winning sitcom Rev, and he was in the most recent instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean as well. And his surname is “Steve” backwards. o.O

Mr. Earnshaw – Paul Hilton

Cathy’s kind father and the man responsible for bringing misery Heathcliff into everyone’s lives. The actor has been in an episode of Robin Hood as Sir Roger (Bad Blood, 3.10) … wasn’t that Gisborne’s dad? Hooray, a Gisborne on the moors! The wrong Gisborne, but a Gisborne nonetheless.

Mr. Linton – Oliver Milburn

The father of the two milksops Edgar and Isabella is played by a man who knows his period dramas – he’s been in both Tess of the D’Urbervilles and David Copperfield to name but a couple.

Lawyer – Paul Murphy

He’s a newcomer to film, as it seems – the three things he’s listed for are all in post-production. To his credits for Wuthering Heights, he doesn’t just play a lawyer, he was also a horse wrangler and a driver. Multi-talented! Shame I can’t find a picture of him … or maybe one of the pictures in the search result is really him, but as he’s not been in anything yet, he can’t be picked out specifically.

Well, those are the ones I could find listed on IMDb. For the rest of the cast, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I wonder what the reason behind only hiring relatively unknown actors is. Budget constraints? Is this just meant to be a small indie film? (As opposed to Jane Eyre which is considerably bigger – I mean, it has a real Dame in it and everything! Not to mention actors we’ve actually heard of.)

What do you think of these casting choices? Are you looking forward to this film being released?