In recent years, Hollywood has frequently attempted to reimagine classic literature for modern audiences — often with disappointing results. From Netflix’s Persuasion (2022) to upcoming adaptations of Wuthering Heights and The Picture of Dorian Gray, studios seem intent on reshaping beloved novels to align with Gen Z aesthetics and sensibilities. However, these efforts often face backlash from the original sources’ dedicated fans. Whether through questionable casting choices, the use of modern slang in period settings, or plot overhauls that compromise the authors’ original messages, these adaptations risk stripping classic works of their depth and relevance, reducing them to mere surface level entertainment.

Modernization at the expense of integrity

Netflix’s Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliott — Jane Austen’s quietly resolute heroine — exemplifies the pitfalls of prioritizing modern trends over the essence of the source material. Marketed as a reimagined period piece, the film incorporates Fleabag-style fourth-wall breaks with Johnson speaking directly to the camera in modern slang. Lines like, “We’re worse than exes — we’re friends,” feel more suited for a contemporary rom-com, devoid of the depth and subtlety that define Austen’s nuanced exploration of regret, resilience, and second chances.

Reviewers criticized Persuasion for apparently assuming that modern viewers wouldn’t appreciate Austen’s original themes without the added layer of ‘relatability.’ Rather than drawing on the subtle wit and introspective depth that defines Austen’s work, this adaptation relies on jokes about ‘self-care’ and ‘ghosting,’ choices that dilute and detract from the novel’s quiet power. While the cast boasts talented actors like Nikki Amuka-Bird and Richard E. Grant, who bring complexity to their roles, they’re overshadowed by a script more focused on awkwardly forcing period-inaccurate humour than honouring Austen’s social critique.

On the other hand, Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation — starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine and Heathcliff, respectively — is stirring controversy long before its release. Fans of Emily Brontë’s novel are particularly concerned that Robbie and Elordi — both known for their highly aestheticized, social media driven personas — may fail to embody the raw, brooding energy of Brontë’s protagonists, sacrificing them for the reward of surface level appeal instead. 

More troubling is the casting of Elordi — a white man — as Heathcliff, a character described as dark-skinned. It risks overlooking the racial complexities present in the character’s ambiguous background. 

Heathcliff’s story in Wuthering Heights carries a subtext of racial otherness, his marginalization as a dark-skinned outsider. It is a theme often glossed over or ignored in previous adaptations, and with Fennell’s forthcoming film there remains the likelihood of once again reducing him to a tortured lover rather than a deeply marginalized, vengeful figure shaped by racial and social exclusion.

Similarly, the anticipated television adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray reportedly turns the characters of Basil and Dorian into siblings, a choice that flattens the novel’s complex dynamic and all but erases the homoerotic tension Wilde deliberately wove into their relationship. Instead of the morally complex and obsessive admiration that Basil holds for Dorian’s beauty, we will likely be left with a sibling rivalry framed through the beauty industry — as if that somehow preserves the core of Wilde’s biting critique. 

Is this the direction new adaptations are taking — rewriting a story to trade queer nuance and social commentary for an Instagram-filtered story about vanity? I feel that this shift reflects a broader trend in Hollywood: where race, queerness, and ambiguity are smoothed over to fit clean and consumable narratives, as if complexity is just too risky for mainstream audiences.

What’s lost in translation

Classic novels endure because of complex characters, moral ambiguity, and social critiques that resonate across generations. Modernizing these stories to appeal to a younger audience isn’t inherently misguided. Films like Clueless and Fire Island demonstrate how thoughtful updates can reinterpret themes for new contexts without compromising their depth. However, many recent adaptations seem to prioritize style over substance, offering surface level updates that fail to engage with the original works’ core messages.

In Persuasion, for example, the frequent fourth-wall breaks don’t deepen our connection to Anne or her struggles; rather, they create distance, with Johnson’s Anne almost winking at the audience in exasperation. Similarly, Fennell’s casting choices in Wuthering Heights may draw attention to their glamour, inherently risking the reduction of Brontë’s searing exploration of passion and revenge into a sparklingly tense romance. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde’s biting critique of society’s obsession with youth and beauty could lose its edge in a contemporary setting, especially if the subtleties of Wilde’s social commentary are sacrificed for a more straightforward satire.

The appeal of timelessness

The enduring popularity of classic literature suggests that audiences are drawn to stories that offer more than just surface appeal. Viewers don’t necessarily need modern slang or trendy references to appreciate Austen’s insight into social mobility, Brontë’s critique of toxic love, or Wilde’s reflections on vanity. By assuming otherwise, these adaptations risk reducing rich, timeless stories to easily digestible content that lacks the depth and complexity of the originals.

The trend of ‘updating’ classics may attract new viewers, but at what cost? If adaptations continue to prioritize pandering over preserving, they risk eroding the legacies of these timeless works, ultimately leaving shallow imitations. Hollywood would do well to remember that timeless stories resonate because of their depth and complexity — not despite it.