The upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling premiered at Venice Film Festival yesterday on Monday, September 5th. The film was bound to get people buzzing: Harry Styles’ debut in the starring role, an Olivia Wildedirectorial feature, and Florence Pugh as the leading lady. It sounded so good at first. My dream cast, with stars like Gemma Chan, a sexy psychological drama described as an “erotic thriller.” And what should have been a Zendaya and Timothee-esque press tour. But alas, we got the opposite. Drama upon drama. It’s a tale of betrayal, lies, and good old Hollywood egos. And we worrying, darling.
Here’s everything we know:
- Oliva Wilde and Florence Pugh are … not close
- Shia LaBeouf says he quit Don’t Worry Darling. Olivia Wilde says she fired him. What’s the truth?
- Harry seems very nervous … and not just for his debut in a leading role
- Chris Pine is stuck in the middle of it all — and was spit on? Maybe?
- Harry Styles kissed Nick Kroll. And we are jealous. But also still worrying, darling
It seems the DWD drama has been bubbling under the surface since the get-go. And it’s all coming to a head now. I can’t help but relish all this drama. Hollywood is back and more chaotic than ever.
Let’s break it down:
Olivia and Shia and Florence — oh my!
In the original DWD cast, the leading man was Shia LaBeouf — oh, how times have changed. But after some disagreements on set, Shia vanished. Olivia took to the press, claiming she’d fired him because she had a “no asshole” policy on set. When allegations were leveled against him, Shia was promptly — and rightfully — canceled, Wilde’s claims seemed prescient. Pat on the back for Olivia, we all said. This is why we need more female directors.
She doubled down on this claim in a July interview in Variety, saying: “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy … my responsibility is to the production and to the cast, to protect them.”
But now we hear there’s more to the story. Shia has emerged from whatever hole he’s been rotting in and sent a strongly worded email. We’ve all been there. He revealed several text screenshots and a video conversation with Wilde that casts a less righteous light on the director. It is not looking good for Wilde.
The truth? Turns out Shia quit. And — damningly — Olivia tried to get him back. By kind of putting all the blame on Florence Pugh.
“I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I, too, am heartbroken, and I want to figure this out,” Olivia Wilde confesses in the video. “You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo. And I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us. If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point, and if you guys can make peace — and I respect your point of view, I respect hers — but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope?”
PLOT TWIST!
I’m not usually interested in what Shia LaBeouf has to say, but this shines a new light on the BTS of DWD. Since the beginning, there have been rumblings that there was more to the on-set dynamics than it seems. And now we know why.
Florence vs Olivia
Not to pit women against each other … but it’s clear these two are not friends.
The gossip channels *cough* Deuxmoi *cough* and industry sources have been alleging bad blood between Pugh and Wilde for months. I didn’t want to believe it. Olivia’s been praising Pugh in the press nonstop! But now, all those public compliments feel like bids to win back Flo’s affection. And they don’t seem to be working.
For starters, this’s that super-stilted press tour. None of the chummy red carpet moments or bantery interviews I once dreamed of. In fact, Pugh did not even attend the official Venice pre-screening press conference for DWD. Her excuse? Her flight ETA was too late. But name one of us who hasn’t used unruly travel to avoid people?
With the new Shia receipts, Florence’s reticence to promote the film makes sense. First, siding with Shia. Then, casting her now-boyfriend in the leading role? Ouch.
And Harry Styles? Now, why is he in it?
But things are not all rosy with Harry and Olivia either. Despite the tension leading up to Venice, the two seemed all loved up. Olivia was backstage on his tour. Their public appearances were #couplegoals. But things changed in Venice.
Despite their his-and-hers Gucci outfits on the Venice red carpet, there was scarce interaction between the couple during Venice events. Trouble in paradise?
Let’s not forget this is all happening in the wake of Harry’s first-ever starring role. Sure, he may get on stage and perform to thousands of people on tour. But even pop stars get nervous. And Harry’s acting debut has already been receiving some criticism — let’s not get started on that accent.
Starring opposite Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh must not have been easy. And for Pugh, starring opposite the biggest pop star in the world has its challenges too. “When [your work] reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it,” she said in a Harper’s Bazaar interview. “It’s not why I’m in the industry.”
Spitting allegations? Kissing Nick Kroll — Chaos begets chaos
It seems the chaos is taking its toll on everyone. Footage from the press conference — Flo famously did not attend — proved that a lot of vibes are swirling amongst the DWD cast.
First of all, Harry did not sit beside Olivia Wilde, his girlfriend. In fact, they were dodging each other all day. Who was forced to “get in the way”? Chris Pine. And what does he get for his service? … Spat on?
I’d love to explain, but … I can’t.
All we know is there’s a now-viral clip from the press call in which Styles appeared to spit on Chris Pine, who then laughs. On purpose? By accident? Not at all? Fans have their theories. Twitter has its jokes. I have a jaw, falling further to the floor with each breaking news piece from this press tour.
Sources close to Harry say it’s untrue. I say … what the hell is going on. But what Harry definitely did do was kiss Nick Kroll. Kroll is a fellow castmate who Styles was more affectionate with on the red carpet than he was with Wilde. Post-premiere, Harry smooched Kroll — again, for no reason. I should note that this comes directly after two things: Harry Styles’ “queerbaiting” allegations and Bad Bunny kissing a male backup dancer at the VMAs. Make of that what you will.
Is the movie even good?
I hate to say it … I really, really hate to say it … but this film does not look good, y’all.
According to the BBC, it is “an empty shell” full of “half-baked ideas,” while The Daily Beast agrees with the internet that Harry Styles’s “bastardized British accent is a distraction.”
Some say the whole spectacle is a waste of Pugh’s talents. Many claim Harry just looks lost and confused. My poor baby. There are a few glimmers of hope, however. British Vogue said, “Pugh and Styles make a striking and believable onscreen couple,” and British GQ said of Styles, “for the lion’s share of Don’t Worry Darling, he truly holds his own. We’d go as far as to say he’s pretty bloody good.”
Maybe all this drama will lead audiences to theatres. With the lack of movie press, headlines about the cast’s antics is driving the film’s publicity. You gotta wonder how much of this is manufactured just for our titillation. The more I find out about this film, the more I worry.
WATCH THE DON'T WORRY DARLING TRAILER HERE ... LIKE, IF YOU DARE: