Florence Pugh Will Only Make One Press Appearance for 'Don't Worry Darling,' Execs Speak Out

Keep it professional! Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh posed together on the red carpet at the premiere of their new film Don’t Worry Darling — despite rumors that they aren’t getting along.

 The film has been the center of controversy including a rumored rift between director Olivia Wilde and leading actress Florence Pugh, a shake-up in the lead actor role involving Shia LaBeouf, and even Wilde famously being served custody papers while onstage promoting the film in front of an audience.And though the saying goes 'if it matters it produces controversy,' it doesn't seem to have worked in this instance.The early reviews for Don't Worry Darling are in after the premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Monday and the majority of them have been negative.Many of the critics blasted filmmaker Wilde, 38, for lack of originality and a rather predictable plot as many felt like her 28-year-old boyfriend was out of his depth in regards to his performance with some pointing out his accent.

Olivia Wilde both attended the world premiere of the drama “Don’t Worry Daring” at the Venice Film Festival, but they kept their distance — almost as if they weren’t even in the same film together.Pugh had skipped the press conference for the film earlier in the day. When the audience at Venice erupted into a 4-minute standing ovation for the film, a teary-eyed Pugh — who was sitting several seats away from Wilde — turned away completely from her director, as she instead faced (and danced with) her co-star Nick Kroll.The film seemed to be well received at Venice. The audience clapped during one of the more climatic scenes and the ovation would probably have gone on longer if Pugh hadn’t made her way for the exit about three minutes into the clapping, prompting the rest of the cast — with Wilde at the end — to follow her. During the ovation, Harry Styles and Kroll quickly kissed on the lips.

Olivia Wilde’s-highly anticipated Don’t Worry Darling had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this evening. Flanked by stars Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan — and Florence Pugh who flew in late from the Budapest set of Dune 2 — Wilde saw her film receive a spirited five-plus minute ovation.

Reviews of Olivia Wilde’s psychological drama “Don’t Worry Darling” premiering at the Venice Film Festival are now out. And while it’s a little too early to land on a consensus (our review is mixed), unless you’ve been living under a rock, the film and the spectacle surrounding it have threatened to become one of the biggest, nosiest dramas of the year.

It looks like things went off reasonably well for Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh on the red carpet on Monday!

There wasn’t any PDA on this red carpet.

Olivia Wilde dodged a question about her rumoured feud with Don't Worry Darling star Florence Pugh during a press conference at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. After weeks of speculation that the Booksmart director doesn't get along with her thriller's leading lady, Wilde was asked by a journalist on Monday if she could "clear the air" about the rumours. Wilde didn't directly answer the question but noted that she doesn't feel the need "to contribute" to the tabloid gossip surrounding her latest film.

Florence Pugh made a sparkling statement on the 79th Venice International Film Festival red carpet on Monday. The actress is in Italy for the premiere of Olivia Wilde's forthcoming film  where Pugh stars opposite Harry Styles. Pugh brought her grandmother as her date for the premiere, and the two walked the red carpet in perfect style.

Gemma Chan sweetly straightens up Chris Pine‘s bowtie for him ahead of walking the red carpet at the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling during the 2022 Venice International Film Festival on Monday (September 5) in Venice, Italy.

Harry Styles shows off his sharp fashion style on the red carpet at the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling during the 2022 Venice International Film Festival on Monday (September 5) in Venice, Italy

Florence Pugh looks so stunning at the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling during the 2022 Venice International Film Festival on Monday (September 5) in Venice, Italy

I never start a review commenting on whatever the so-called Film Twitter Mafia have to say about it, sight unseen. Starting back at CinemaCon in April when its directo/co-star Olivia Wilde was served legal papers onstage regarding her custody hearings with ex Jason Sudeikis, there has been non-stop gossip about her movie Don’t Worry Darling. There has been so much of it, right up to today’s Venice Film Festival press conference (covered by my colleague Nancy Tartaglione) that you almost have to address the elephant in the room. Others can do that, but let us not forget there is also a movie here, one I was able to preview as just that a few weeks ago in Burbank. As a reviewer, to quote Being There’s Chauncey Gardner, “I like to watch,” and that means only what is on the screen.

Olivia Wilde is trying to play down endless rumors of the supposed rift between her and Don’t Worry Darling star Florence Pugh!

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” is a movie that, in recent weeks, has been besieged and consumed by offscreen dramas, none of which I’ll recount here, except to note that when a film’s lead actress seems actively reluctant to publicize the film in question, that’s a sign of some serious discord. Yet it would be hugely unfair to allow this tempest in a teapot of gossipy turmoil to influence one’s feelings about the movie. If you want to talk about problems related to “Don’t Worry Darling,” you need look no further than at what’s onscreen. The film, written by Katie Silberman, with the brilliant production design of Katie Byron, is a kind of candy-colored “Stepford Wives” in the Twilight Zone meets “The Handmaid’s Tale” for the age of torn-at-the-seams democracy. In theory, this should add up to a juicy watch. Wilde, whose first feature was the witty and vivacious 2019 girls-on-a-bender comedy “Booksmart” (this is her second film), is a gifted director who knows how to set a mood. In “Don’t Worry Darling,” she does that to the max, and for a while you get caught up in it (or, at least, I did). Between the pop ambition, the tasty dream visuals, and the presence of Harry Styles in his first lead role, “Don’t Worry Darling” should have no trouble finding an audience. But the movie takes you on a ride that gets progressively less scintillating as it goes along.

Following her outstanding and irreverent directorial debut, “Booksmart,” actor-turned-filmmaker Olivia Wilde returns with a much more ambitious effort in “Don’t Worry Darling.” Taking the mystery box route, “Twilight Zone” meets “The Stepford Wives,” with a little dash of “The Matrix,” the audacious film is ultimately a misfire because of its overextending mystery conceit. But regardless, it’s a well-crafted film that shows Wilde’s debut was no fluke.

The drama continues. Olivia Wilde praised Florence Pugh at a press event for Don’t Worry Darling — but she refused to answer questions about Shia LaBeouf.

Olivia Wilde has responded to speculation over a rift between her and Don’t Worry Darling colleague Florence Pugh.The latter leads the thriller, which is directed by and co-stars Wilde, that focuses on a young couple (played by Pugh and Harry Styles) in the 1950s whose happy marriage begins to unravel when she starts to become suspicious of a secret project he is working on.However, reports have emerged in recent months of a falling out between Pugh and Wilde, something the latter has responded to in a new press conference – which Pugh was not in attendance at – ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.“Florence is a force,” she said (via Variety). “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.

Olivia Wilde arrived on the Lido Monday morning for the hotly-anticipated press conference for her latest film Don’t Worry Darling. Wilde was joined by her principal cast, including Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, and Chris Pine. As previously reported, Florence Pugh, the film’s lead, was not in attendance because her flight from the Budapest set of the Dune sequel didn’t land in Venice until after the presser began. Pugh is expected to attend the film’s evening premiere.