Everything We Know About the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Movie Starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles

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Everything We Know About the ‘Don't Worry Darling' Movie Starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles

On the edge of our seats! Although fans have to wait a little longer for Don't Worry Darling to hit theaters, the Florence Pugh and Harry Styles movie has already made headlines during the filming process. Director Olivia Wilde, who collaborated with Booksmart writer Katie Silberman on the project, opened up about the complications that come with making a movie amid a pandemic. After shooting started in Los Angeles in late 2020, production was halted following someone on set testing positive for COVID-19. The break lasted for two weeks before resuming in November 2020. “It definitely affects that exact ingredient in the process, that camaraderie. It definitely makes it more difficult,” she told Variety in February 2021. “You have to really focus on everybody’s eyes. Everyone is communicating so differently, and there’s a lot of gesticulating.” [sendtonews type="float" key="Y4oz1sDgp7-2841093-14453"] Don't Worry Darling, which originally had Pugh and Shia LaBeouf in the lead roles, also went through several casting issues when the Disney alum dropped out due to a scheduling issue. Dakota Johnson, who joined the cast in September 2020, dropped out one month later due to prior commitments and was replaced with KiKi Layne. Following LaBeouf's exit, Wilde discussed not allowing actors on her set who don't contribute positively to the project. “Someone, who's a very established actor and director in this industry, gave me really terrible advice that was helpful, because I just knew I had to do the opposite,” the House alum said during the Variety interview. “They said, 'Listen, the way to get respect on a set, you have to have three arguments a day. Three big arguments that reinstate your power, remind everyone who's in charge, be the predator.' That is the opposite of my process. And I want none of that. … The no a--holes policy, it puts everybody on the same level.” As Don't Worry Darling continued filming, Chris Pine offered a glimpse at the "good art" that came from working on something unique. "The aesthetic of the movie is beautiful. The story is so compelling and so fun and so dark and twisted," the actor told Entertainment Tonight in December 2020. "Shooting was wonderful. Olivia is very clear about what she wants." Scroll down for everything we know about Don't Worry Darling so far: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy Olivia Wilde/Instagram

When Does ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Come Out?

The movie will be released on September 23, 2022.

Wilde posted a teaser trailer for the movie with the caption, “In theaters only,” which indicates that Don't Worry Darling won't debut on a streaming platform alongside its box office release.

The short clip included Styles and Pugh sharing a passionate kiss. There were also scenes where the Black Widow star was seen sitting poolside with a drink which transitioned into her screaming with plastic wrap around her head.

Credit: Courtesy Olivia Wilde/Instagram

Who's In The Cast?

The highly anticipated project includes Pugh, Styles, Pine, Gemma Chan, Layne, Sydney Chandler and Nick Kroll.

In September 2020, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Wilde would be appearing in a supporting role as well.

Credit: Courtesy Olivia Wilde/Instagram

What's the Plot of the Movie?

Don't Worry Darling is a story about "an unhappy housewife in the 1950s [who] discovers a disturbing truth, while her loving husband hides a dark secret," according to Deadline.

Collider previously reported that Pine is set to play "the revered leader of a mysterious, cult-like worksite," while Layne takes on the role of Pugh's neighbor who exhibits "strange, paranoid behavior and tries to warn Pugh that everything in their community is not what it seems."

Credit: Courtesy Olivia Wilde/Instagram

Will Florence Pugh and Harry Styles Lend Their Vocals to the Movie?

After the director the teaser in September 2021, some fans started to speculate whether the Little Women actress was the one performing the hauntingly beautiful background song.

Viewers also posed a theory that Styles subtly offered his musical skills with the eerie humming that accompanies the vocals. 

After the May 2022 trailer continued to tease Pugh's involvement, composer John Powell offered a glimpse at the soundtrack. "The score album for #DontWorryDarling is in the works! 🎵🎶 Nearly one hour, 24 tracks - including an 8+minute track!" he wrote via Instagram at the time.

Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock; Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

What Happened Between Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde?

Don't Worry Darling made headlines during filming when Wilde and Styles were spotted holding hands off set in January 2021.  

A source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that the couple developed a connection after working together on the movie.

"Harry and Olivia had chemistry almost instantaneously on set,” the insider revealed at the time. “It was only a matter of time before they got together."

According to the source, Wilde, who split from fiancé Jason Sudeikis two months prior, wasn't looking to share her new romance with the world immediately.

"Olivia and Harry were able to keep their relationship under wraps for a bit before it became public knowledge," the insider noted to Us. "They were very careful about it and even sleuthy at times, although the small group of people who were on set with them every day eventually figured it out."

Credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock

What Was Wilde's Inspiration?

The Cowboys & Aliens actress opened up about the films that inspired her vision, telling Vogue in December 2021 that she looked toward Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal. "[Those movies are] really sexy, in a grown-up way. ... I kept saying, 'Why isn't there any good sex in film anymore?'" Wilde said at the time, comparing Don't Worry Darling to "The Feminine Mystique on acid."

In April 2022, Wilde elaborated on the thriller's theme. “I want you to imagine a life where you have everything you could want. Not just material, tangible things like a beautiful house, perfect weather and gorgeous cars," she said during an early screening of the trailer at CinemaCon. "But also the things that really matter, like true love or the perfect partner or real trusted friendships and a purpose that feels meaningful.” 

The New York native continued: “What would it take for you to give up that life, that perfect life. What are you really willing to sacrifice to do what’s right? Are you willing to dismantle the system that’s designed to serve you?”

Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

How Racy Is It?

Styles confirmed during an April 2022 interview with the U.K.’s Capital FM Breakfast radio show that there are a few saucy scenes in the film, teasing that fans “can’t watch” it with their parents.

“In this context, it’s been a really nice opportunity for me to be able to get very much out of my comfort zone and kind of start again,” the “As It Was” singer explained. “It’s been a lot of fun. … I was very lucky to have a trusting relationship with the people we were working with and that kind of came first.”

Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

What Does the Trailer Explore?

In May 2022, the official sneak peek at the film showed a blissful — and steamy — marriage between Styles and Pugh, which soon takes a turn as Pugh's character starts to question the secrets that her husband's company may be hiding.

Wilde plays a large role in Don't Worry Darling as a fellow housewife who stays committed to the secrecy in the experimental utopian community.

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A Comfortable Environment

During an interview with Howard Stern in May 2022, Styles opened up about his time filming Don't Worry Darling.

“Acting is kind of uncomfortable at times. You have to trust a lot. Being able to trust your director is a gift, that was very helpful," he said, calling it a “wonderful experience" to be directed by Wilde.

Credit: YouTube

What Does the 2nd Trailer Reveal About Alice?

Viewers got another glimpse of Pugh as Alice in July 2022’s extended teaser, which included her spiral into insanity as she realizes her perfect life with husband Jack (Styles) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In the video, Alice starts to have nightmares and a feeling of déjà vu as Jack dives deeper into the world of the experimental utopia called Victory.

At one point, Alice gets squashed between two glass walls while cleaning. In another moment, she cracks eggs — but no yolks come out. “They’re lying about everything!” Alice screams as the idyllic Palm Springs-inspired community falls apart around her.

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What Does Florence Think About the Movie's Sex Scenes?

In August 2022, Pugh addressed her issues with the buzz around her racy onscreen moments with Styles.

“When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it," she told Harper’s Bazaar. "It’s not why I’m in this industry. Obviously, the nature of hiring the most famous pop star in the world, you’re going to have conversations like that. That’s just not what I’m going to be discussing because [this movie is] bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that.”

Credit: Scott Garfitt/AP/Shutterstock

Who Was Florence Originally Meant to Play?

According to the England native, she was first offered the role that ultimately went to Wilde before booking Alice. “It was a different beast,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in August 2022. “I love playing a distressed woman.”

Credit: Warner Bros.

Does Harry Styles Sing in 'Don't Worry Darling'?

"I wanted something that could be both sweet and creepy, entirely dependent on the context," the Grammy winner told Variety in August 2022 of the song he penned for the film. "I remember first playing it on the piano, and it had a sort of homemade nursery rhyme feel to it. Applied to the different moments in the film, I think it takes on a couple of different lives — I hope."

While he doesn't sing on screen, he has a dance scene. "I feel like I've been waiting for someone to require a 35-second tap routine from me my whole life," he teased.

Credit: Warner Bros.

Why Harry Styles Gravitated Toward the Role of Jack

The "Grapejuice" singer was curious about the thriller's "story as a whole" before signing on to the project, he told Variety in August 2022. "It felt like an opportunity to play someone who is incredibly complex, caught between love and obsession. There were always two sides of the character to play with. It's fun to play someone that you feel like you’re trying to work out the whole time."

Styles was also inspired by Wilde and her "incredibly focused" presence behind the camera. "She communicated what she was looking for from the cast with both clarity and respect," he explained. "I think transitioning from acting into directing has made her a director who knows how to get the best out of everyone."

Credit: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Shutterstock

Why Was Shia LaBeouf Fired From 'Don't Worry Darling'?

Wilde explained her decision to cut the Disney Channel alum, who was initially cast in Styles' role of Jack, from the film during an August 2022 Variety interview. "I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work: His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions," she shared. "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."

Months after LaBeouf's firing, he was accused of sexual, emotional and psychological abuse by ex FKA Twigs. (The actor told The New York Times in a 2020 statement that "many of the allegations are not true" but added that he took "accountability" for his mistakes.)

"A lot came to light after this happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behavior," Wilde continued, asserting that she was dedicated to "creating a safe, trusting environment" on set. "For our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive. Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported. ... [I'm] just really wishing him health and evolution because I believe in restorative justice."

Following Wilde's interview with Variety, LaBeouf denied that he was fired from the production, telling the outlet he "quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time."

Credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Major Cuts to the Trailer

In an August 2022 interview with the Associated Press, Wilde claimed that the Motion Picture Association forced her to cut additional sex scenes from the trailer before it was released. "There’s a lot that had to be taken out of the trailer," she claimed. "The MPA came down hard on me and the trailer at the last second and I had to cut some shots, which I was upset about because I thought they it took it up another notch. But of course we still live in a really puritanical society. I do think the lack of eroticism in American film is kind of new. Then when it comes to female pleasure, it’s something that we just don’t see very often unless you’re talking about queer cinema." 

Credit: Marechal Aurore/ABACA/Shutterstock

The Premiere Press Conference

Ahead of the film's premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, Wilde shut down speculation about her rumored feud with Pugh, who missed the press conference because of travel conflicts. “Florence is a force," Wilde said of the actress. "We are so grateful she’s able to make it tonight [for the red carpet] despite being in production on Dune. I know as a director how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day, so I’m very grateful to her and to [Dune director Denis Villeneuve] for helping us. And we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight. I can’t say how honored I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing. As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute; I think it’s sufficiently well-nourished." 

When a reporter asked about the rumored drama with LaBeouf, Wilde replied that the question had already been answered because "it's on the internet."