Why HBO Max's New #1 Movie Is Taking Over The World ($241 Million Hit Made 3x Its Budget)

That's given movies older and newer, dramatic and action-driven, and original and IP a new wave of interest. And with the constantly evolving state of streaming service libraries, there are consistently new offerings for subscribers. This often happens at the start of the month, with new movies on HBO Max in May 2026 including titles like Despicable Me, Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

However, none of those immediately became massive worldwide streaming successes. That honor instead belongs to Wuthering Heights, which is now available on HBO Max after releasing in theaters on February 13. Two-and-a-half months later, the movie has swiftly topped the streaming charts.

Wuthering Heights Has Completely Taken Over HBO Max

After releasing on the streamer worldwide on May 1, Wuthering Heights had no trouble vaulting to the #1 spot on HBO Max's charts. According to data from FlixPatrol, it remains in that prominent position days later, retaining its status as a global sensation as subscribers keep clicking play on it.

As of May 4, Wuthering Heights sits as the most-streamed movie on HBO Max in over 50 countries, including the United States. That puts it ahead of Marty Supreme, The Devil Wears Prada, Christy, and the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights, which rounds out the top five domestically.

Based on FlixPatrol's points system that values a movie's placement per spot in different countries' top 10 charts (with a #1 spot being worth 10 points, #2 spot worth 9 points, etc.), Wuthering Heights has 579 points as of today. That's almost 3.5x as much as HBO Max's #2 movie worldwide, Den of Thieves 2.

While official streaming viewership data has yet to be released by HBO Max, the demand for the movie worldwide appears to be massive. It's a result that makes a lot of sense thanks to the nature of Wuthering Heights, who is involved, and more.

Wuthering Heights Is A Known Commodity

The most obvious explanation for Wuthering Heights' success on streaming lies with its history. The movie is an adaptation of the iconic novel of the same name by author Emily Brontë. Released in 1847, the book has stood the test of time and become regarded as one of the greatest English novels, thanks to Heathcliff and Catherine 'Cathy' Earnshaw's complicated love story, its views on class and religion, and its various themes.

Not only have many read Brontë's seminal work for academic or personal purposes, but the book has taken on new life over the years through various adaptations. Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier starred in 1939's version. Anna Calder-Marshall and Timothy Dalton did a different take in 1970. Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes headlined a 1992 adaptation. Kaya Scodelario and James Howson even played the leads in another recent retelling from 2011.

Many of these Wuthering Heights movie adaptations proved to be quite popular, too, as seen with the 1939 version charting on HBO Max simultaneously with the 2026 reimagining. Whether someone is a fan of Brontë's book, the previous movies, any of the TV series, or all three, Wuthering Heights has no shortage of admirers who would be curious to see how a new adaptation tackles the source material.

Wuthering Heights Unites Two Major Hollywood Stars

A key point of interest for this specific Wuthering Heights movie, though, is the stars behind the central love story. Jacob Elordi steps into the role of Heathcliff, while Margot Robbie becomes the latest star to put their spin on Cathy. And while she's not in front of the camera, Emerald Fennell being the writer and director of the reimagining brings additional name recognition to the title.

Elordi has become one of Hollywood's signature under-30 stars. The 28-year-old Aussie has made waves in recent years with his role in HBO's Euphoria, a buzzy role in Fennell's divisive thriller Saltburn, and an Academy Award-nominated performance in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein​​​​​​. With his charm and physical appearance turning him into a modern heartthrob, Elordi stepping into a role like this was bound to draw interest.

Robbie, a fellow Aussie, is more of an established screen presence, though. She broke out in 2013 with The Wolf of Wall Street and has been in many other high-profile roles since then. Whether it's playing Harley Quinn in multiple DC movies, portraying Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, or becoming Mattel's icon for the $1.4 billion Barbie, Robbie has no shortage of supporters.

Meanwhile, Fennell has established herself as a filmmaker to watch during the 2020s after delivering much-discussed movies in Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. Her hyper-stylized direction, use of music, and striking visuals can make her movies really work for some. For others, they fall flat or apart based on different decisions.

Seeing Elordi and Robbie as Heathcliff and Cathy is undeniably a signature draw for Wuthering Heights, but not all the curiosity comes from wanting to watch them bring this romance to life. They are both tied to some of Wuthering Heights' biggest controversies, such as the movie aging Cathy up substantially and ignoring that Heathcliff is a person of color in the original book.

Wuthering Heights Has Already Proved To Be Very Popular

Despite those controversial elements, the film has not struggled to find success. Even before Wuthering Heights came to streaming and easily rose to the top of HBO Max's charts, it was a massive box office success — no doubt thanks to audiences' familiarity with this story and the interest in the two stars.

Warner Bros. played Wuthering Heights' release perfectly by putting it out in theaters over Valentine's Day weekend following an extensive and steamy marketing campaign. It opened to $32 million domestically, which was a respectable performance, even if below the hopes of a Fifty Shades or It Ends With Us level debut. Wuthering Heights only wound up making $84 million domestically, just a hair above its reported $80 million budget.

Luckily, the movie proved to be a much bigger hit internationally. It managed to make another $157 million overseas, led by the United Kingdom ($34M), Australia ($14.5M), and Italy ($12.8M). That gave Wuthering Heights a final box office haul of $241.7 million, officially making it a box office success by earning 3x its cost.

The chart-topping reception to it on HBO Max falls in line with the demand audiences had to see it in theaters. Now, anyone who didn't check it on the big screen can finally see it, while those who appreciated Fennell's reimagining or want to give it a second chance can do so with ease. Wuthering Heights can now claim victory over the box office and streaming, and there's no telling how long the latter will last.