“Don’t Worry Darling” has been commented on a lot recently – and not only for the iconic cast. Starring Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and Chris Pine, the movie directed by Olivia Wilde will be released on September 22 but has already caused controversy.
Shia LaBeouf and the cast.
In April 2020, the cast of the thriller “Don’t Worry Darling” was announced. Initially, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, and Shia LaBeouf would be the stars of the movie. In September of the same year, Harry Styles was announced as a replacement for the main male character, LaBeouf, due to “scheduling conflicts”. In October, the recordings started, and in December, two of LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriends, FKA Twigs and Karolyn Pho, accused the actor of abuse and aggression, according to the New York Times.
Olivia Wilde, in an interview with Variety, told the reason for the substitution of roles: “His process was not consistent with the ethos I demand in my productions”. Wilde said she wanted to create “a safe and secure environment” on set to allow people to do their “best work”. She added, “My responsibility is to the production and the cast to protect them. That was my job.”
LaBeouf didn’t like what was said about him, claiming again that he was replaced only due to schedule problems, and answered the director by leaking a video of Wilde asking for him to return to the cast and saying that she could convince “miss Flo” (Florence Pugh) to change her mind and work with him.
Pugh supposedly (and understandably) felt uncomfortable working with LaBeouf, and then the rumors on the internet started about the possible disagreement between the female main character and the director.
The possible romance between Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles.
The director Olivia Wilde and her second choice for the main actor, Harry Styles, met on the set of “Don’t Worry Darling” when production began in September 2020. Also in 2020, Olivia Wilde split from Jason Sudeikis, with whom she has two children and was married for 10 years.
Proof that the divorce didn’t happen friendly happened during a movie event in Las Vegas, where the trailer for “Don’t Worry Darling” was released for the first time. A legal representative of Olivia’s ex handed over, while the director was on stage, documents in which Sudeikis asked for custody of the children. When she receives the role, she looks confused and even says: “Is it for me?”. Then just read what it is about and continue your presentation as normal.
For some gossip sites, the pivot may have been Harry Styles. Wilde and Styles have been photographed holding hands, and she has been seen at his concerts, but there has never been an official confirmation of the relationship.
The relationship between Olivia and Harry is also a motive for the rumors of possible disagreement between Olivia and Florence.
The director and the star: rumors between Olivia Wild and Florence Pugh.
In the plot, Florence Pugh and Harry Styles are a couple who live in a 1950s community. Things get strange after the disappearance of a person in the community, causing suspicion in Alice, Pugh’s character.
A source told Us Weekly in August that “Florence and Olivia have had many personal and professional disagreements, which is why Florence is not doing any publicity for the film.” Fans have already been observing that Pugh has made little effort to promote the film on social media and that the actress is away from the events (her reps say she is in Budapest filming Dune 2), despite Wilde’s effusive posts about her performance and the actress regularly marketing her other upcoming films.
Many people believed that Florence would not even attend the Venice International Film Festival, but the actress went, although she did not exchange any direct contact with Olivia or Harry.
It was also said that Pugh was uncomfortable with Wilde and Styles’ relationship and the alleged differential treatment (and salary) Harry Styles received while filming.
Florence reveals to Harper’s Bazaar that she is not happy with the way conversations about “Don’t Worry Darling” are being conducted in the press. For her, it was all about the sex scenes and the fact that these scenes take place with “the most famous guy in the world” – her words for Harry Styles.
The Oscar-nominated actress also took issue with the director’s stance on these “Don’t Worry Darling” sex scenes, with Wilde calling these racy scenes “integral to the story” in Variety and telling Vogue that she wanted audiences to “realize how rarely do they see this kind of female pleasure.” Pugh compared that feeling at Harper’s Bazaar in August:
“…That’s not why we do it. That’s not why I’m in this industry. That’s not what I’m going to discuss because [Don’t Worry Darling] is bigger and better than that,” she added.
Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?
The moment occurred on September 5, during the premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling” in Venice, Italy. A video has started to circulate on the internet, where Styles is seen sitting next to Pine.
When the singer bends down to sit, his lips move and Pine quickly looks down and stops clapping – which some believed was Pine’s acknowledgment that the singer had just spit. Pine then shakes his head slightly and appears to laugh before reaching down and picking up his sunglasses which are placed between his legs and continue to look like he is enjoying the moment.
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, a rep of Pine talks about the buzz: “This is a ridiculous story – a complete fabrication and the result of a strange online illusion that is misleading and allows for silly speculation. Just to be clear, Harry Styles didn’t spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion to the contrary is a blatant attempt to create a drama that simply does not exist.”
Despite not being directly involved in any controversy, many comments on Pine’s silence during interviews and collective divulgation of the film.
Harry Styles and controversies
Despite being highly acclaimed as a singer, Harry Styles received some criticism on Twitter after the release of a new trailer for DWD. Although his acting is not bad – as can be seen through his participation in the 2017 film Dunkirk – next to the award-winning Florence Pugh, the difference in professionalism between the actors is remarkable.
Causing even more polemic, Harry kissed his partner of DWD, Nick Kroll, during the standing ovation for “Don’t Worry Darling” after its screening at the Venice Film Festival.
————————-
The article above was edited by Giullia Cartaxo.
Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Casper Libero for more!