Everything We Know So Far About Don't Worry Darling

Everything We Know So Far About Don't Worry Darling

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing Everything We Know So Far About “Don’t Worry Darling.”

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable details released so far about this upcoming movie.

Are you looking forward to watching “Don’t Worry Darling”? Let us know in the comments!

This psychological thriller is about Alice and Jack, a picture-perfect couple living in an idyllic community during the 1950s. Jack's enigmatic employers created and paid for their seemingly perfect lifestyle, leaving Alice to wonder what’s behind their mysterious suburbia. But unveiling that curtain sheds light on a life-altering reality. Based on a speculative script by Carey van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke, the original story earned a place on the 2019 Black List for “most liked” but not yet produced screenplays. Katie Silberman was then brought on board to write a screenplay fit for the silver screen.

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh play the central couple — and if you've watched the trailer, it's fair to say that their chemistry’s pretty steamy. You'll know Pugh from a plethora of roles. She made her professional acting debut in the 2014 drama "The Falling," quickly garnering the attention of critics and audiences alike. However, she had her breakthrough in 2019 after starring in "Fighting with My Family," "Midsommar," and "Little Women." Her work in the latter film earned her both Oscar and BAFTA nominations. Of course, audiences also recently got to know her as Yelena Belova in "Black Widow" and later in "Hawkeye."

Although Styles is better known as a musician, this isn’t his first or only foray into acting. In 2017, he made his film debut as Alex in Christopher Nolan’s war flick, “Dunkirk.” Like Pugh, Styles has also been indoctrinated into the MCU, appearing as Eros/Starfox during the mid-credits scene of 2021’s “Eternals.” He’ll also be taking on the leading role in the upcoming romantic drama “My Policeman.” So far, Styles’ acting performances have generally been well received, so we look forward to seeing how he fairs in the thriller genre. He told British radio station Capital FM that this is a movie audiences “can’t watch” with their parents, so you’ve been warned!

You may remember that Shia LaBeouf was initially set to play Jack. But he exited the role, having reportedly been fired after clashing with the cast and crew. Despite the supposed drama, Olivia Wilde was thrilled when Styles came on board. She loved his fashion sense, and had initially considered him for the part after seeing his performance in “Dunkirk.” However, his tour schedule conflicted with shooting. But with LaBeouf’s departure and the pandemic causing events to be canceled, the stars aligned, and he was able to become Jack.

Also joining the cast is Chris Pine. His incredibly varied career has included a range of films, from “Star Trek” and “Wonder Woman” to “Into the Woods” and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”. He plays Frank, a charismatic CEO and head of the elusive Victory Project. And you’ll see Gemma Chan, who you’ll know from films like “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Captain Marvel,” and “Eternals.” But specific details about her character Shelley are still unknown, though she may be linked to Frank. Plus, KiKi Layne, best known for “If Beale Street Could Talk”, “Native Son,” and “Coming 2 America,” will bring the character of Margaret to life. She took over the role after Dakota Johnson dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. We also don’t know much about the character Bill, except for the fact that he’s played by actor, comedian, and “Big Mouth” co-creator Nick Kroll.

Olivia Wilde is also set to feature as Mary, although details about the character are currently unknown. Apparently, she originally envisioned herself in the leading role until she watched Pugh’s performance in “Midsommar.” However, Wilde plays a significant role behind the scenes as the film’s director. Speaking at CinemaCon, she explained that her influences for this flick came from movies like “Inception,” “The Matrix,” and “The Truman Show.” Meanwhile, she told Vogue that its aesthetic is inspired by films that are “really sexy, in a grown-up way.” These include “Poolside Gossip,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Indecent Proposal.” And if we refer back to the trailer, we’re pretty sure she hit the nail on the head.

She also interestingly shared that casting Jack was no easy task, as many of her auditionees weren’t exactly thrilled to be in a supporting role. Wilde attributed this attitude to the way men are conditioned by society to think “If I don’t take up enough space, I won’t seem valuable.” Well, luckily for us, Harry Styles didn’t appear to have a problem with the role’s scope.

This isn’t Wilde’s first time at the helm either. She previously directed short films “Free Hugs” in 2011 and “Wake Up” in 2020. Her directorial skills were on full display in the 2019 teen comedy “Booksmart,” and her work was also widely applauded by critics. Wilde is also set to direct and develop the reported Spider-Woman-esque movie. So this thriller is certainly in capable and highly talented hands.

So we’ve briefly touched on the trailer, but what else does it tell us? It opens on Jack and Alice’s utopian life. The men go out and work while the women are taught not to ask questions. But between the characters’ unusual behaviors and the recurring toy planes motif, the facade starts to fade. Alice is left questioning everything, and the audience is left searching for those answers as well. There’s some quite graphic imagery, that saran wrap tearaway scene. Of course, the quick glance at a steamy dinner table moment amassed plenty of attention too. The trailer has elicited plenty of theories about how the movie might play out. Some think it could be like “The Matrix.” Others are picking up on more of a “Black Mirror” vibe, speculating that their entire world is just a simulation.

What’s real and what’s not? Well, there’s only one way to find out. Filming presented its own set of challenges given the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were production delays. But now, “Don’t Worry Darling” is set to open in theaters on September 23rd, 2022.

We look forward to uncovering more about the fascinating film and its intriguing characters as we eagerly await its release.