'Don't Worry Darling' cast hits the red carpet after Olivia Wilde calls out 'endless tabloid gossip'
The cast of director Olivia Wilde's upcoming thriller, "Don't Worry Darling," hit the red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Monday, amid a flurry of fan speculation about what happened behind the scenes.
Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Chris Pine, Sydney Chandler, Nick Kroll and Wilde posed on the carpet at the glamorous event, hours after Wilde sidestepped a question about rumored tension with Pugh at the "Don't Worry Darling" press conference. Pugh, the star of the film, did not attend the press conference.
"It's a shame not to have Florence here -- can you just clear the air and address if there's been a falling-out there, and if so, why?" a journalist asked. "Because it's something people are discussing."
"Florence is a force," Wilde, who is rumored to be dating Pugh's co-star, Styles, responded. "And we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight 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, grateful to Denis Villeneuve for helping us and we're really thrilled we'll get to celebrate her work tonight."
"I can't say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead," she continued. "She's amazing in the film and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don't feel the need to contribute, I think it's sufficiently well nourished."
Shortly after that, Pugh arrived in Venice. Rebecca Corbin-Murray, her stylist, posted a video of her in a purple Valentino outfit, nonchalantly carrying what looked like an Aperol spritz, a favorite aperitif of the Italian city.
Fans have speculated there is tension between Wilde and Pugh after a video of Wilde was released by actor Shia LaBeouf in response to Wilde's Variety profile that mentioned his departure from the film. Styles replaced LaBeouf in the film after the actor departed.
After Wilde told Variety that LaBeouf was fired due to his "process" that had a "combative energy," LaBeouf said in a response to Variety he actually quit the film. He shared a video with Variety he said Wilde sent to him, where she says she is "not ready to give up on this yet."
She also apparently referenced Pugh in the video, saying, "You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you're open to giving this a shot with me, with us. If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace — and I respect your point of view, I respect hers — but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?"
Some fans have pointed out Pugh's limited promotion for the film, insisting the move is intentional, while others have argued she is busy in filming two other upcoming films, "Oppenheimer" and "Dune: Part Two."
In "Don't Worry Darling," Pugh and Styles play Alice and Jack, a happy couple living in Victory, a private community described as an "experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families."
The synopsis of the highly anticipated film details that "cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade," which leaves Pugh's character "questioning exactly what they're doing in Victory, and why."
The first trailer for the film was released in May. Check it out here.
With the rumor mill buzzing about the relationships between the cast and crew, all eyes were on their public appearances in Venice. See the cast's glamorous looks at the Venice International Film Festival below.
Florence Pugh
The leading actress wore an off-the-shoulder, dazzling gown from Italian luxury fashion house Valentino.
Corbin-Murray shared a snap of the actress on the carpet, captioning her post, "Miss Flo."
Olivia Wilde
Wilde wore a custom yellow gown with a plunging neckline and jeweled detailing from Gucci.
Harry Styles
The singer and actor also hit the carpet in a look from Italian luxury fashion house Gucci.
Gemma Chan
Chan wore a captivating custom Louis Vuitton gown.
"Don't Worry Darling" is out in theaters Sept. 23.
