2022 is set to be a year of big movies, but few are more secretive than Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. Information about this film (featuring One Direction superstar Harry Styles) has been kept under wraps almost as much as new Marvel movies are, leaving many fans scrambling for any details they can find. Set pictures were leaked during filming in late 2020, sparking massive conversations about the plot and details of the film online. When director Olivia Wilde released a teaser of the film, it only created more chaos without answering any questions.
Although what is known about Don't Worry Darling is limited, this has not stopped fans from getting excited about the film's release; in fact, it's probably just increased the anticipation. Hype about the film has been massive, especially considering the actors involved have said nothing about their roles or the filming process, and their involvement (prior to the release of the very brief teaser) was only known because of press releases and leaked photos.
Who's in Don't Worry Darling?
To say that Don't Worry Darling has star power would be an understatement. Helming the film is the acclaimed Olivia Wilde, who is directing here for the second time; her directorial debut Booksmart was very successful and allowed her a jumping off point to direct future projects. Don't Worry Darling came to Olivia Wilde soon after, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and some casting issues. The main role of Alice was originally planned to be played by director Wilde, until she saw Florence Pugh in Midsommar. Wilde enjoyed Florence's acting so much that she knew Pugh would be perfect for the part. Pugh is an up and coming actress with recent leading parts in Midsommar and Little Women, along with quickly becoming entrenched in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yelena Belova in Black Widow and the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Pugh's career is being launched into the stratosphere, and Don't Worry Darling will likely add to that ascent.
Before production began, Alice's husband Jack was originally set to be played by Shia LaBeouf. It was originally said that LaBeouf left the project due to sceduling conflicts, but Wilde eventually stated that he did not mesh with the cast. LaBeouf was replaced with Harry Styles, the X-Factor and One Direction singer who had, at the time of filming, only acted in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, but has since appeared in Marvel's Eternals. Despite some early mix-ups with the cast, Don't Worry Darling seems to have one of the hottest leading pairs of the year. The beloved Chris Pine and Nick Kroll also star.
What is Don't Worry Darling About?
Since there is not yet a full trailer for the film, what we know about the plot is gleaned at the surface-level. At it's core, Don't Worry Darling seems to be a psychological thriller set in 1950s California, in a kind of utopic, suburban desert community. Harry Styles and Florence Pugh play a husband and wife who've been having issues in their relationship, with her husband sometimes mysteriously absent and Florence's character Alice having questions about her mental state due to recent events in her life. The film will chronicle this trauma along with the lives of people surrounding the couple. The addition of Pugh's suffocating face in a plastic bag in the teaser has certainly also sparked massive interest.
Despite the limited amount that is known about the plot, fans continue to theorize about what will occur and who the villain is, if any; as with many psychological thrillers, the line between good and bad is blurred, but fans are excited to see where their favorite celebrities fall on that spectrum. Many feel that the story may contain cults, murder, and possibly psychological manipulation and gaslighting, thanks to certain gun-pointing and grave-digging scenes in the sometimes sexy teaser. There is certainly not much more known about the plot , but the star power and massive bidding war between studios over the film nearly ensures viewers will be in for the ride of a lifetime.
When Will Don't Worry Darling Be Released?
The film is currently set for a theatrical release in September 2022. Despite the filming getting a full theatrical release date, many are unsure if that will actually happen, due to the pushbacks in the last two years (as a result of the pandemic); Omicron has made plan-making seem almost laughable. A full trailer for the film has yet to be released, but director Olivia Wilde has marked the official release date as September 23rd.
No matter when the film is released, fans will flock to theaters and/or streaming services to see it, and Don't Worry Darling is very likely to be a success no matter the form in which it's released. The September premier of Wilde's movie also allows it to fit into the perfect window for an awards season run, something which seems immensely possible considering the talent and excitement surrounding the film.