Olivia Wilde isn’t afraid to get real, whether in an interview or onscreen. Her directorial debut film Booksmart showed a refreshingly blunt portrayal of teen angst and sexuality, one that included an-almost sex scene where a tragically wasted Kaitlyn Dever puked on her crush. Olivia Wilde’s next film, however, is set to feature a decidedly hotter tryst between none other than her alleged boyfriend Harry Styles and the Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh.
Olivia Wilde recently sat down with Alexandra Schwartz of Vogue for an interview set to accompany the publication’s January cover. Among the topics discussed, which included her mother’s job as a trailblazing journalist, her love of Florence Pugh, and her directorial style, was one reportedly steamy scene in Don’t Worry Darling. An excerpt from the interview reads:
One [scene], featuring a hardworking Styles and a most gratified Pugh, is going to generate some serious attention — and, if the devotion of Styles’s fan base is any indication, hysteria — when ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is released. When I work up the blushing courage to ask Wilde about it, she gets technical, talking about overhead angles and wraparound shots, though she readily volunteers that she intends for her audience to ‘realize how rarely they see female hunger, and specifically this type of female pleasure.’
It’s true - a woman’s desire is often painted as comical, sinister, or some odd combination of the two. Olivia Wilde has spent years as an object of affection, so she clearly recognizes the uneven portrayal of male and female sexuality in many Hollywood films. The ‘male gaze’ is still prevalent in the entertainment industry, but Olivia Wilde seems determined to make her own mark with Don’t Worry Darling. If Alexandra Schwartz’s description of the Styles/Pugh sex scene is anything to go by, it seems like fans will have plenty to get excited about.
Olivia Wilde’s vision for the seductive world of Don’t Worry Darling was indirectly inspired by the films of Adrian Lyne, who directed thrillers like Indecent Proposal and Fatal Attraction. Of Lyne’s work, Olivia Wilde said:
Those movies are really sexy, in a grown-up way. I kept saying, ‘Why isn’t there any good sex in film anymore?
The influence of Adrian Lyne’s darkly erotic style is evident even in the precious few seconds of released footage from Don’t Worry Darling. Although there’s barely a minute of the film available online, the saturated color palette and sultry mood speak to a bygone era of filmmaking. This time, however, it’s a woman both in front of and behind the camera.
Don’t Worry Darling is set to hit theaters on September 23, 2022. In addition to directing the film, Olivia Wilde will also appear in a supporting role. Other cast members include Gemma Chan, Chris Pine, Kiki Layne, and Nick Kroll.
