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‘Don’t Worry Darling’: Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh Feud Broken Down, But is it Real?

Don’t be concerned, my dear. On Monday, the debut of the upcoming film Don’t Worry, Darling took place during the Venice Film Festival.

It’s a film generating a lot of attention for the wrong reasons. With reports of nasty on-set disputes between Olivia Wilde and the film’s lead Florence Pugh, it’s a movie caught in storms. But first, here is everything you need to know about the film itself.

What is Don’t Worry Darling about?

Don’t Worry Darling, a psychological thriller set in the 1950s, tells the story of Jack Chambers (played by mega-popular singer Harry Styles) and his wife Alice (played by Pugh). The couple lives in a company town in California where everything seems perfect–until Alice begins to investigate her husband’s place of work. Once she starts looking into the Victory Project, cracks begin to form in their once idyllic life together.

OK, now to the stuff you actually care about.

Don't be concerned, my dear. On Monday, the debut of the upcoming film Don't Worry, Darling took place during the Venice Film Festival.

What’s with the drama between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh?

Where do you begin? Don’t Worry, Darling is beset with a slew of issues. Let’s start with Shia LaBeouf.

Shia LaBeouf was initially selected as Jack Chambers, but he was dismissed by Wilde after reports of on-set conflict emerged.

Wilde discussed LaBeouf in a Variety profile.

“His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions,” Wilde remarked. “He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work.”

LaBeouf insists he wasn’t fired, but rather quit; as evidence, he sent Variety a video in which Wilde appears to beg him to return to the set because she’s “ready to give up on this yet.”

In the note, Wilde appears to be referring to a conflict with Florence Pugh:

“You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo,” Wilde says in the video. “and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us. If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace — and I respect your point of view, I respect hers — but if you guys can do it, what do you think?”

Olivia Wilde's Video to Shia LaBeouf, Asking Him to Stay, Leaks after LaBeouf Denies He was Fired by Wilde

This has led to reports of a rumored feud between Olivia Wilde and her star Florence Pugh, with fans sifting through social media postings and body language in group pictures of the cast. Thousands of tweets exist, as well as an extensive online discussion among fans about social media posts and body language in crew photographs. At a news conference for Don’t Worry Darling ahead of its Venice Film Festival premiere, Wilde was asked about the supposed conflict.

“I can’t say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead,” Wilde said. “She’s amazing in the film and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute, I think it’s sufficiently well nourished.”

But on Monday, when news of any and all contacts between cast members at the press conference and the film’s screening broke, the internet went wild. People are bickering over the seating arrangement, as well as reactions to questions asked at the press conference. The internet is currently in flames over a single insane idea: that Harry Styles secretly spat at his co-star Chris Pine before showing his film at the Venice Film Festival.

There’s more to the narrative. During the production of Don’t Worry Darling, a relationship between Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde is said to have begun. Olivia Wilde was previously married to Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, who was recently served what are believed to be custody papers on stage during Cinema-Con in Las Vegas.

Florence Pugh is Distancing Herself from 'Don't Worry Darling'

What do reviews of the movie say?

The majority of reviews seem to think that the film is undercooked. Hannah Strong, a critic for The Hollywood Reporter, called it “fairly rote and unimaginative” as you can get and Justin Chang from the Los Angeles Times said its downfall was “primarily one of imagination.”

It is worth noting that the movie was very well-received at the Venice Film Festival, with a standing ovation and great praise for Florence Pugh’s performance.

Don’t Worry, Darling premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, but won’t be accessible here until September 23.

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