ICYDK, There's A Filipino Adaptation Of 'Wuthering Heights' Starring Richard Gomez And Dawn Zulueta

Phew. Director Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights came out just in time to fuel everyone's Valentine's feelings—and, I'm pretty sure everyone woke up the next day with a Jacob Elordi hangover (and maybe Margot Robbie). This 2026 version may be dark, a little kinky, and set to a Charli XCX-coded soundtrack, but at its heart, the story has always been about obsessive love, emotional chaos, and revenge. Definitely not your soft-girl romance.

But ICYDK, you don't actually have to look that far to find a version of this classic love story that hits closer to home.

Released in 1991, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit was directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna with a screenplay by Raquel Villavicencio. According to a PEP.ph article, Carlos said he was inspired by Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights.

The film stars then real-life couple Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta in their first movie together as leads (rest assured, the chemistry was very much giving). Richard plays Gabriel, a working-class boy taken in by the wealthy Don Joaquin Salvador (played by Jose Mari Avellana). There, Gabriel forms a deep bond with the latter's daughter, Carmina (played by Dawn), forming a connection that eventually grows into a love story full of longing, tension, and emotional damage (the romantic kind, of course).

Like the original Wuthering Heights, class differences and family drama quickly get in the way. Enter Milo (Michael de Mesa), the jealous son who falsely accuses Gabriel of a crime and sends him away to Manila. Distance and unresolved feelings follow, but Gabriel and Carmina's love endures—because what's a classic romance without a little suffering?

And instead of the gloomy moors of West Yorkshire, the film's setting is swapped for the stunning seaside cliffs and serene beaches of Batanes, adding a distinctly Filipino touch.

Book enthusiast and content creator Koji Arsua notes that while the movie focuses mainly on the romance between Gabriel and Carmina, it stays faithful to the emotional core of Emily's novel. And knowing that Richard and Dawn were a real-life couple at the time makes every lingering look and dramatic moment hit a little harder. NGL, the kilig and the angst go hand in hand here.

Produced by Reyna Films and distributed by Bonanza Films, the movie premiered on June 13, 1991, and was later digitally restored in 4K by ABS-CBN Film Restoration and Central Digital Lab, with a theatrical re-release in 2017.

So if you're planning for your next movie night, you can stream Hihintayin Kita sa Langit online for free via YouTube.