Everyone loves their celebrity gossip, and nothing seems to be juicier for the entertainment world than all the drama surrounding Olivia Wilde's sophomore directorial effort, Don't Worry Darling, which is slated for release on September 23rd. Starring a dream cast of Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine, Don't Worry Darling was poised to be one of the most exciting and anticipated releases of the year.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, audiences are getting intrigued for all the wrong reasons. What should've been a slam dunk for Wilde has been bogged down by rumors of feuds, affairs, and lies. While not much has been confirmed, that hasn't stopped the users at Reddit from dishing about one of the most scandalous wide release of the fall.
After a controversial merger with Discover Inc, the legendary Warner Bros. studio has had equally legendary bad luck. Between this, Ezra Miller's criminal actions and the unprecedented shut-down of Batgirl, Reddit users like TypeExpert are "convinced someone put a curse on WB."
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While nobody knows how this word-of-mouth will affect the critical or commercial success of Wilde's film, the never-ending scandals are getting out of hand. Some feel, at this point, only a masterpiece could weather such bad press. Even worse, it might help drag down the Warner Bros. brand.
While almost all the central players seem to be wrapped up in the BTS drama, one star has managed to keep his name out of the tabloids: Chris Pine. Set to play Frank, the "found of the Victory Project," the Star Trek actor has been yet another draw for audiences, and he's been largely unaffected by the negative energy surrounding the film's release.
That's largely validated what so many fans love about Pine, which is that he's an unusually easy-going star without vanity or ego. As Reddit user Youngblood affectionately puts it "A sh*tshow between Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and Shia Labeouf... Meanwhile Chris Pine is in the background chillin'."
One of the major components behind the film's hype is that it'll feature the first starring role of pop superstar Harry Styles, who previously had a small role in Dunkirk. Unfortunately for Styles, that means his acting will be scrutinized, and some Reddit users aren't being particularly charitable after seeing a clip of his performance.
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Even worse for Styles, he's paired with one of Hollywood's most talented performers in Florence Pugh, and some people think this makes him look even weaker. According to gentlyredundant, "Florence says maybe five, six words, and single-handedly outdoes his whole mini-monologue." To make matters worse, it's been reported that Styles and Wilde were in a relationship during filming (with some sources reporting they are still going strong), making the entire set of circumstances around his involvement even more awkward.
Despite all the worrying around the film, it's also possible that the rumors will only help Don't Worry Darling at the box office, and with audience interest, in general. It went from being an intriguing film with a star-studded cast to easily one of the most talked about films of the season, if not the year.
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Of course, that's not the kind of attention that Wilde and her cast were hoping for, but it's hard to deny the power of behind-the-scenes drama. As Reddit user FantaFGC puts it, "I want to see a movie about the MAKING of DWD than seeing the film itself." So nobody should be surprised if the gossip leads to more sales, one way or another.
While Wilde has been getting heat for both her relationship with leading man Harry Styles and the contested set of circumstances around LaBeouf's departure from the film, many are pointing out that Wilde isn't committing any new sins that previous directors haven't already done.
Hollywood's greatest directors have always been associated with scandals, from Peter Bogdanovich leaving his wife for Cybill Shepherd, to Stanley Kubrick's infamous treatment of Shelly Duvall during filming of The Shining. As Reddit user Bubbatino sarcastically points out, "Olivia Wilde alienating her actors, not giving them enough time, flirting and hooking up with her star- she's a true auteur!"
One of the biggest rumors that have sparked recent discussions is that star Florence Pugh is supposedly in a feud with Olivia Wilde, either because of her relationship with Styles or because Wilde supposedly tried to keep on Shia LaBeouf and then lied about firing him.
While Pugh hasn't confirmed or denied the rumors, there have been several moments that have led to speculation, such as the fact that Pugh's limited her involvement in the film's press circuit. That could easily be due to her filming schedule for Dune 2, but as Reddit user ChrisEvansFan points out, "when the trailer dropped for this film and Florence promoted Oppenheimer instead." Intentional or not, awkward moments like this are fanning the flames.
In one of the more infamous moments from the recent drama, a video was leaked of Olivia Wilde asking Shia LaBeouf to stay on the film even though she claimed to have actually fired him for his behavior and history of abuse. It all started with LaBeouf rebutting Wilde's claim that she fired him, and things have only spiraled from there.
While the video only shows Wilde asking him to stay on and try to make it work, her dismissive tone of Florence Pugh's understandable objections to working with LaBeouf. Most notoriously, she refers to her as "Miss Flo." As Reddit user Jackie Daytona, ""Miss Flo" ..wow." That quote may haunt Don't Worry Darling & it's legacy, no matter what the exact details of LaBeouf's departure are.
At this point, the drama has become so overwhelming, and so synonymous with the film itself, that casual moviegoers have heard more about it than the actual film. It seems more people can tell you about Wilde's love life or Pugh's shooting schedule than the story or characters.
Considering that Don't Worry Darling is a high-concept film that was going to attract audiences not only with its cast but its premise, that could be the biggest red flag for its financial success. Reddit users like juno_huno commented on this humorously, facetiously asking "No seriously guys, what is this movie about?" There might not be such a thing as bad publicity, but there's bad word-of-mouth, and Don't Worry Darling could end up being a perfect example of that.
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