Considered one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Don’t Worry Darling finally hit the box office on September 23, 2022. Fans of Harry Styles have been anxiously awaiting to see the singer in his first leading role. The Florence Pugh fanbase also could not wait to see her in yet another thrilling movie. Then, there were the fans who could not wait long enough to see the two in action together. Despite the high hopes for this movie and cast, there was a lot of uproar throughout the entirety of the filmmaking process. From focusing on the male gaze to role replacements, the process of making this movie was the furthest from a “victory project.”
From the very first trailer fans have been very vocal about their concerns, as it includes a very sexual scene between Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. People immediately began to ask questions such as: why are these types of scenes repeatedly needed throughout just the trailer? The responses given by director, Olivia Wilde, and leading actress Florence Pugh ignited just the beginning of the many controversies regarding this film. Wilde has claimed that these scenes are vital because they bring light to female pleasure. However, in a Harper’s Bazaar interview Pugh has said, “…when it’s 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” (Hall, 2022).
Fans were quick to realize the difference in responses, and it was evident whose side they favored. Pugh, who is an Oscar-nominated actress, knows her way around a psychological thriller. She is aware of what scenes are important, what needs to be emphasized, and what does not. Pugh knows how to grab the audience’s attention when it comes to thriller movies, as we have seen from her performance in the award-winning film, Midsommar, where she plays the main protagonist, Dani. The way Wilde has gone about it has caught people’s eyes for different reasons. This highly sexualized scene only lasts for about two seconds out of the three-minute trailer, which brings light to Pugh’s stance on why such promotion has been used for the movie. Pugh has made it clear from the beginning of the promotion for this movie that she does not want to be very involved, despite being the lead. Not only has there been minimal social media promotion or presence from Pugh, but she also did not attend the press conference at the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Another famously known controversy surrounding this film includes director Olivia Wilde, actor Harry Styles, and actor Shia LaBeouf. When the movie was first announced in 2019, LaBeouf was cast as the male lead, rather than Styles. By August of 2020, LaBeouf had claimed that he left the project of his own free will, however, Wilde said that she had fired him due to his “combative” energy. During this time, LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, accused him of multiple cases of assault. Due to this, there were rumors that Pugh did not want to work with him and felt unsafe being around him. Wilde has stated that she stood by Pugh’s side by confirming that it did not feel right for her to be working with him, due to the fact that Pugh would have had to showcase with LaBoeuf. Wilde has said, “…for our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive… my priority was making her (Pugh) feel safe and making her feel supported” (Marcos, 2022).
As a woman, looking at this situation from this standpoint, I am pleased to see women sticking by one another. However, it does not seem that this situation ended there. Not too long before the premiere of this film, a video of director Olivia Wilde talking about Florence Pugh surfaced across social media. The video was sent from Wilde to LaBeouf discussing the film when he was originally a part of it, many months ago. In this video, fans believed that Wilde was shaming Pugh for being difficult to work with, and even referred to her as “Miss Flo”, which many believe to be an insult. Wilde has shut down any rumors that she and Pugh do not or have not gotten along, and that Pugh is simply “a strong force,” and she truly enjoyed working with her on set.
Even though she initially was not posting about the film, Pugh posted a few photos on Instagram from the set. She included photos with co-stars Nick Kroll, Asif Ali, Kiki Layne, and a screen grab from the film with Olivia Wilde. Although fans did not get the Florence and Harry content they were hoping for, people can only assume that Pugh and Wilde are on good terms. But “don’t worry darling”, I do not think the story is over yet.
References
Hall, A. (2022, October 4). Spilling the Tea of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and All Those Behind It. Daily Utah Chronicles. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2022/10/04/diving-below-the-surface-of-director-olivia-wildes-dont-worry-darling/
Marcos, G. (2022, September 7). What Happened Between Florence Pugh And Shia LaBeouf? TheThings. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://www.thethings.com/what-happened-between-florence-pugh-shia-labeouf/