Filled with a star-studded cast, Don’t Worry Darling was released to high expectations. Set in the 1950s, the film follows the life of a couple who go to live in a utopian experimental community, but disturbing secrets unravel as the wife goes on a fact-finding mission.
Mired in controversy due to casting issues, the film stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh in the lead role with other big actors such as Chris Pine and Nick Kroll. Continuing to be stuck in controversy, the film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival to mixed reception.
On-set dramas of Don’t Worry Darling
Despite the interesting plot and talented cast, Don’t Worry Darling became known for a different reason, that was on-set conflicts. The drama started with the casting of Shia Labeouf was originally supposed to play the lead but departed from the production after conflicting reasons.
While Shia Labeouf contended he left at his discretion, Olivia Wilde asserted he was fired. A video later released showed Olivia Wilde expressing interest in wanting to work with Shia Labeouf. She said in the video:
“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. 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”
“Miss Flo” might be a reference to Florence Pugh, who has also butted heads with Olivia Wilde. Many reports of the two clashlashing appeared, with some suggesting they had a “screaming match” on set.
Off the set, the controversy continued as Florence Pugh wasn’t present for a lot of the promotion, though many suggested the reason for her absence was due to her part in Dune: Part Two.
WB-Discovery still wants to work with Olivia Wilde?
A decision that has surprised many is the assurance of WB-Discovery that Olivia Wilde has a future with the studio. This confirmation comes after the heavy negative critical reception of Don’t Worry Darling. As noted by Warner Bros. executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy told Page Six in a statement.
“We are so proud of the work that Olivia Wilde has done making this incredibly beautiful and entertaining film and look forward to collaborating with her again.”
Many reviewers noted the direction and plot of the film were lackluster, while the acting of Florence Pugh in particular was the best part. Don’t Worry Darling stands at a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment.
Read more: Don’t Worry Darling Review: A Mixed Bag of Beautiful Visuals and Recycled Ideas
Recently, the studio has been on a canceling spree, abandoning almost completed projects like Batgirl for the sake of quality. Warner Bros also parted ways with Zack Snyder due to many of his films not receiving positive reviews, so the decision to stick with Olivia Wilde does seem rather odd.
Don’t Worry Darling is now in theatres.
Source: Twitter
