'Don't Worry Darling' Off-Screen Drama Outshines the Movie
by EG
Social media is certain that the stars and director of the new thriller Don't Worry Darling are in the middle of vicious feuds, and the perceived drama got even more attention after the film's debut this week at the Venice Film Festival. A rep for Chris Pine said that co-star Harry Styles did not, in fact, spit on him, and director Olivia Wilde refused to say anything about an alleged feud between herself and star Florence Pugh. But that's not doing anything to quiet the stir. As a result, the gossip is getting much more press than the movie itself, which is not exactly winning over critics. Read on for details.
After the weeks of drama that had engulfed Olivia Wilde’s much-hyped sophomore feature Don’t Worry Darling, drama that somehow managed to crescendo even higher following an awkward press conference at the Venice Film Festival on Monday (where questions were shut down by the moderator), there was no doubt some hope that all the scandal would be put to one side for the star-studded world premiere later that evening.
And, for the most part, it was.
Thanks to Harry Styles, the fans outside (many of whom had camped overnight) ensured that Warner Bros. Discovery’s psychological thriller generated probably the loudest screams of the festival, although the welcome for lead star Florence Pugh hit a similar decibel range. The screams continued beyond the red carpet and into the Sala Grande before the screening, while afterward, the film generated a solid seven-minute standing ovation.
But eagle-eyed cameras caught several moments that poured fuel back on the bonfire of controversy, created several fresh memes, and ensured that much of the social media discussion is still firmly away from the film itself.
In what has become an overnight viral video hit, as Styles sits down in the Sala Grande for the Don’t Worry Darling screening, he appears to spit at co-star Chris Pine. Or does he? Pine’s rep denies this, calling it “complete fabrication,” though the reaction from Pine certainly suggests otherwise. In any case, the footage has arguably become the biggest Twitter talking point from the premiere, generating millions of views.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.