Rarely has a movie received publicity as bizarre and messy as Olivia Wilde's sophomore feature, Don't Worry Darling.
Wilde's second project — a stylish, if half-baked and ultra-derivative, feminist thriller that shies away from its most interesting, most uncomfortable questions — would be a rather forgettable one, despite Florence Pugh's strong central performance. But here's where the Don't Worry Darling scandals come into play, turning its press tour into a glorious spectacle much more intriguing than the film's predictable plot.
Also starring Wilde, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Gemma Chan, Don't Worry Darling may be unsatisfying with its unexciting, confusing ending but the gossip circus surrounding its making and PR may, in the long run, generate curiosity around it. This vicious cycle fueled by rumors, contradicting statements, and alleged fights may lead some back to where it all began: a movie that was always going to be a heavily scrutinized one.
If anything, the film's reception and media coverage could offer a commentary on misogyny in the industry, prompting us to reflect on the reasons why we want our female filmmakers to be perfect, but are less inclined to be lenient towards them after they seemingly blow their shot with a not-so-great movie and an even worse publicity tour.
6 Olivia Wilde Claimed She Fired Shia LaBeouf From Don't Worry Darling
On August 24, 2022, Olivia Wilde covered Variety, explaining why she allegedly fired Shia LaBeouf from the movie. The actor was originally tapped to play the role of Pugh's character Alice's husband Jack, which ultimately was recast with Styles.
"I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work. His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions," she said in the interview.
"He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don't personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job."
5 LaBeouf Alleged He Quit Don't Worry Darling For A Specific Reason
On August 26, LaBeouf broke his silence on his early departure, telling a different story about how things went down.
He disclosed text messages between him and the filmmaker and a video where Wilde says she is "not ready to give up on this yet" and alludes to a disagreement between LaBeouf and Pugh.
He also forwarded Variety an email he claimed to have sent Wilde after her cover story broke, explaining that he wasn't fired, but left voluntarily because the actors didn't have time to rehearse.
"You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn't find time to rehearse," LaBeouf wrote in his email.
4 Harry Styles Replaced LaBoeuf In The Role Of Jack In Don't Worry Darling
Once LaBeouf exited Don't Worry Darling, Wilde cast Styles in the role of Jack. It was September 2020 and the two were not in a relationship yet.
The romance may have blossomed on set later on, with a Vulture report alleging that Wilde and Pugh had a blowout argument in January 2021.
An unnamed source claimed that Pugh wasn't impressed with Wilde's "frequent, unexplained absences" — which may have had a connection with her relationship with Styles.
"Olivia and Harry would just disappear," the insider further alleged.
3 Florence Pugh Didn't Initially Promote Don't Worry Darling
While the alleged fight wasn't confirmed, it became clear that something was off when Pugh didn't seem to promote the movie on her social media and skipped the Venice Film Festival press conference and the New York City premiere in early September.
"From what I understand, there is friction, but I don't know why," a source told Rolling Stone at the time.
"It's pretty clear [Florence is] choosing not to be a part of the PR. It's clearly not beneficial to Olivia to not have her be a part of the PR. It has to be a Florence decision."
Pugh, however, attended the Venice premiere and took to her Instagram on September 23 this year to acknowledge the movie, though with no specific shoutout to Wilde or any of her co-stars.
2 Harry Styles And The Spitgate At The Venice Premiere Of Don't Worry Darling
The film's premiere at Venice Film Festival was also at the center of controversy over a viral video of Styles in which he seems to be spitting on his co-star Chris Pine.
Wilde denied the incident happened on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on September 22, saying: "He did not, but I think it's a perfect example of people will look for drama anywhere they can. Harry did not spit on Chris, in fact."
"People can look at a video that shows evidence of not spitting on someone else, and they'll still see what they want to see and that is the creation of drama and that is clickbait," she continued.
A representative for Pine also denied the spitting took place in a statement to TODAY.
"This is a ridiculous story. A complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation. Just to be clear, Harry Styles did NOT spit on Chris Pine ... there is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist."
1 Don't Worry Darling Earned Mostly Terrible Reviews
The movie garnered mixed reviews, earning a 38% rotten critic score on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is currently at a 74%.
Some critics have mentioned the terrible press tour in their reviews, highlighting the film's qualities but slamming its unoriginality.
"All the drama seems to have happened off camera for director Olivia Wilde and stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh. What's on screen is a glossy, repetitive retread of The Stepford Wives with a dash of The Truman Show and no discernible personality," ABC News' Peter Travers wrote in his review.
"A movie that's not a disaster, but not particularly distinguished; a movie that, in the end, will wind up being as forgettable as its own bizarre publicity," wrote Ann Hornaday in her review for the Washington Post.
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