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.”
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: