Olivia Wilde and Don’t Worry Darling has been shrouded in controversy for the last few months. Whether it’s rumors about Shia LaBeouf, Florence Pugh, or Harry Styles, the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film, helmed by Wilde, never seems to end. So far, there’s been back-and-forth accusations between Wilde and LaBeouf around his departure from the project and whether he was fired or chose to leave. In addition, a gender pay gap and an intimate relationship between Styles and Wilde has forced Don’t Worry Darling into the headlines time and time again.
Now, Wilde is claiming most of the film’s drama has to do with being a female director. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the filmmaker and actress said it’s “frustrating” to see her project, which the cast and crew worked so hard on, continually being sidelined “in a way that I don’t see [people] doing to men.” She continues, saying, “I don’t feel like my male directing colleagues are answering questions about their cast,” she says. “People would actually be talking about the movie itself. They’re praised for being tyrannical. They can be investigated time and time again, and it still doesn’t overtake conversations of their actual talent or about the film themselves,” she explains. “This is something we’ve come to expect. It is just very different standards that are created for women and men - in the world at large, we’re not just talking about Hollywood.”
It seems Wilde wants the rest of people’s attention to be spent on Don’t Worry Darling and not the antics surrounding it. But, of course, as she promotes the film, it makes sense to want to focus on the project to which she’s dedicated so much time. Fans can see Don’t Worry Darling, premiering in theaters on Friday, Sept. 23.
Wilde Cleared up the Confusion With Shia LaBeouf
Sony Pictures Releasing
Shia LaBeouf has been at the center of the controversy for Don’t Worry Darling alongside Olivia Wilde. Whether he was fired or not remained to be seen throughout the promotional run for the film; however, Wilde sought to clear any confusion during her appearance with Stephen Colbert. She says, “We had to replace Shia - he is a fantastic actor, but it wasn’t going to work. When he gave me the ultimatum of him or Florence - I chose Florence and that was him feeling he was stepping away and me feeling like we were moving on without him.” Over the past few months, Wilde claimed to have fired the actor while he says he stepped away from Don’t Worry Darling.
She continues, saying there are levels to the conflict between them. “Anyone who has ever dealt with conflict knows there are levels to it before there’s a conclusion. In this case, everyone ended up with what they wanted - [Shia] didn’t want to be a part of a production we were making in the way I like to make productions so he moved on.” She concluded by saying she’s happy with the final casting choices. “We moved on and replaced him and ended up with a cast I’m so proud of.”
Don’t Worry Darling stars Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll. After all the drama surrounding the upcoming film, fans are hoping for a product worth the wait.
