Topline
The obsession with the press rollout of director Olivia Wilde’s film Don’t Worry Darling reached a crescendo on social media Tuesday, as fans investigated clues of Wilde’s alleged feud with leading lady Florence Pugh and dissected a video of stars Harry Styles and Chris Pine as if it were the Zapruder tape—here’s a breakdown of the months-long rumored drama.
Nick Kroll, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Sydney Chandler, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan … [+]
Timeline
Rumors of an on-set feud between Wilde and Pugh had already been building, but when The Don’t Worry Darling trailer was released and Pugh didn’t share the trailer on her Instagram, the gossip went mainstream.
In a Variety profile, Wilde praised Pugh’s performance, denied there was any pay disparity between the two stars, and claimed that she had fired Shia LaBeouf, who originally held Styles’ role of Jack, because of his “combative energy” and a desire to protect Pugh.
LaBeouf disputed the claim, sending Variety text messages, emails and a video in which Wilde asks LaBeouf to continue, says she’s “not ready to give up on this yet,” and says “this may be a bit of a wakeup call for Miss Flo,” using a belittling nickname for Pugh.
Hours later, it is reported Pugh will do limited press for the film at the upcoming Venice Film Festival, as she is busy working on Dune 2.
Wilde said she “doesn’t feel the need to contribute” to the “endless tabloid gossip” at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, which Pugh is absent for, and a moderator shuts down a follow-up question about LaBeouf’s exit.
The cast appeared together on the red carpet—with Styles and Wilde separated, so no photos of the rumored couple could be taken, and with Pugh separated from Wilde.
The film received a four-minute-long standing ovation, though three minutes into the applause Pugh departed the theater, according to Variety, and the rest of the cast followed her out.
A video went viral on social media showing Styles leaning over Pine while taking the seat next to him in the theater, and then showing Pine shaking his head and Wilde wincing, which many took as evidence that Styles spit on Pine.
A representative for Pine told People that Styles did not spit on him, calling it “a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” and said there is “nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
Big Number
46%. That’s Don’t Worry Darling’s score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 reviews. A majority of critics celebrated Pugh’s and Pine’s performances, but Styles’ received mixed approvals, as did the story.
What To Watch For
Don’t Worry Darling hits theaters on September 23.
Key Background
Don’t Worry Darling is a sci-fi thriller that tells the story of a couple, Jack and Alice, who live in a utopian society in the 1950s. The flick also stars Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll and Sydney Chandler. It is the second film Wilde has directed, after the beloved 2019 comedy Booksmart. Wilde and Styles were rumored to be dating in January 2021, shortly after he replaced LaBeouf in the DWD cast and news broke that Wilde had separated from her longtime partner Jason Sudeikis. Wilde and Sudeikis made headlines in May when she was served with custody papers by Sudeikis while presenting DWD on-stage at CinemaCon. Styles’ dedicated force of fans have not all been welcoming to Wilde, with some disparaging the actress and director online.
Further Reading
Venice: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Faces the Press, but Where Is Florence Pugh? (New York Times)
Olivia Wilde Said She “Doesn’t Feel The Need” To Deny Those Feud Rumors After Florence Pugh Skipped The “Don’t Worry Darling” Press Conference (Buzzfeed News)
What to Know About the Controversy Behind Don’t Worry Darling (Time)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/09/06/dont-worry-darling-feud-obsession-reaches-new-heights-with-styles-and-pine-spit-video/