The buzz surrounding Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling keeps growing. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Wilde, who directs and appears in the psychological thriller, said that the Motion Picture Association "came down hard" on the film's trailer, leading to scenes being cut from the trailer. Wilde told the Associated Press:
"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. You know, it’s interesting because in a lot of queer films, the female characters are allowed to have more pleasure. Audiences aren’t as puritanical as corporations think they are. And yet people get upset. I mean, people are upset with me already over this. I think it’s a testament to the film. We want to be provocative. The idea is not to make you feel safe."
While Wilde seems to be proud of the sensuality presented in her film, Florence Pugh, the star's film, recently told Harper's Bazaar that she would not be discussing Don't Worry Darling's racier scenes. Pugh stated that she believes that Don't Worry Darling is "bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that.”
Don't Worry Darling will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5 before making its way to theaters September 23. The film is set in the 1950s and stars Pugh and Harry Styles as married couple Alice and Jack. The two live in a utopian experimental community, where life is similar for all couples. The wives stay at home, make dinners and spend time with each other, while the husbands all work for a mysterious company named Victory Project. When one of the wives goes missing, Alice (Pugh) begins to investigate her husband's glamorous company.
Don't Worry Darling also stars Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll and Chris Pine. The film was written by Katie Silberman, and based on a story by Carey van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, and Silberman.
All Eyes on Don't Worry Darling
Don't Worry Darling has been making headlines long before the release of the film's racy trailer this May. In early 2021, the relationship between Wilde and Styles became public, piquing interest in the film. During a presentation for the film during April's CinemaCon 2022, Wilde was served with custody papers from former partner, Jason Sudeikis. There have been ongoing rumors of a feud between Pugh and Wilde, drawing even more attention to the film and press surrounding it.
Just last week, Shia LaBeouf refuted claims that he had been fired from the film by sending Variety emails, text messages and a video of Olivia that revealed he had, in fact, quit. This followed interviews where Wilde claimed that LaBeouf had "combative energy" and making Pugh feel safe and supported was her priority.
However, all the noise surrounding the movie does not seem to faze Wilde:
"Every filmmaker longs for people to see their film. That’s all you want is for people to see it. If people are excited about a film, for whatever reason, what you hope is that it gets them in the door. Whether you are a 1950s car fanatic and that’s what’s going to get you into this movie, or if you are simply going because you’re a fan of our incredible cast, all I care about is that you have the chance to see it, and I hope that people then have the instinct to share it," she told the Associated Press.