“Don’t Worry Darling” had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, with most of the world watching to see if any drama unfolded between Olivia Wilde and her cast. And the premiere didn’t disappoint; or, at least the internet’s perception of it didn’t. Did Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine after the screening? Were Florence Pugh and Wilde actively avoiding eye contact on the red carpet? Oh, who cares? All that matters is the movie premiered, and critics didn’t care very much for it.
But worry not, internet trolls and social media gremlins: Olivia Wilde is back to stoke the fires of drama some more. In Vanity Fair’s new exclusive cover story with the actress-turned-director, Wilde confronts the various rumors and gossip swirling about her latest film. First up, as to whether Shia LaBeouf quit “Don’t Worry Darling” or Wilde fired him, she said, “This issue is so much more nuanced than can be explained in private texts released out of context. All I’ll say is he was replaced, and there was no going forward with him. I wish him the best in his recovery.”
Is that Wilde doubling down on her side of the story? More likely, there are shades of gray to LaBeouf exiting the film in 2020. The VF piece mentions a source close to the situation confirms that LaBeouf was indeed unhappy with the limited rehearsal time for the movie, but that Wilde was also uncomfortable with the actor’s intensity. LaBeouf reportedly gave Wilde an ultimatum: choose me or my co-star, Florence Pugh. Wilde chose Pugh, allowing LaBeouf to believe what he wanted to think: that he was quitting and not getting fired. As for who’s at fault? Probably nobody, and that’s the way the business is.
Now for rumor #2: was Wilde so smitten with her new beau Styles on set that she alienated Pugh and neglected the production, forcing Pugh and cinematographer Matthew Libatique to direct certain scenes? Says Wilde, “The idea that I had five seconds in the day to be distracted by anything is laughable. I was there before everyone. I was there after everyone. And it was a dream. It’s not like this work was not enjoyable. It was just all-encompassing.” Libatique statements back up Wilde as he said, “It was one of the most harmonious sets I’ve ever been on, and I’m in the middle of the storm.”
So, that clears up that. But what about Pugh, and her apparent distancing herself from the film? “Florence is one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe,” said Wilde. “She’s on set on “Dune” [Part Two]. I gather that some people expect for her to be engaging more on social media. I didn’t hire her to post. I hired her to act. She fulfilled every single expectation I had of her. That’s all that matters to me.” Even after the Venice premiere, with everyone reading in so much into Pugh and Wilde’s lack of interaction, Wilde stands by her lead actress. “Florence’s performance in this film is astounding,” she continued. “It’s just baffling to me that the media would rather focus on baseless rumors and gossip, thereby overshadowing her profound talent. She deserves more than that. As does the movie, and everyone who worked so hard on it.”
With the premiere come and gone, Wilde sounds like she’s ready for all of the drama surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling” to be over. Frankly, so are we. “It is very rare that people assume the best from women in power,” she added in the VF exclusive. “I think they don’t often give us the benefit of the doubt. Florence did the job I hired her to do, and she did it exquisitely. She blew me away. Every day I was in awe of her, and we worked very well together.” And here’s a final quote from Wilde: “It is ironic that now, with my second film—which is again about the incredible power of women, what we’re capable of when we unite, and how easy it is to strip a woman of power by using other women to judge and shame them—we’re talking about this.”
Is Wilde on point here? Are the toxic realms of social media and internet journalism to blame for all of the “noise” surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling,” or did Wilde maybe bring some of this upon herself? Bringing up “the incredible power of women” is a shrewd thing to do on Wilde’s part, but it doesn’t play very well if your lead actress apparently wants nothing to with you. It’s likely that this movie’s drama is far from over, especially as its US theatrical release looms.
“Don’t Worry Darling” hits theaters on September 23. Read our review of the movie here.
