Shia LaBeouf has been at the center of a media firestorm in recent weeks, beginning when allegations of abuse were made public via a lawsuit by his ex-girlfriend Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known by most as singer-songwriter FKA Twigs. Since then, more controversies have come to light, and the latest involves his participation in director Olivia Wilde's upcoming movie, Don’t Worry, Darling.
This past fall it was reported that Harry Styles was replacing Shia LaBeouf in the film, with the reason provided being scheduling conflicts, but according to a new report from Variety the actor was fired from the production due to what is described as "poor behavior" and a style clash with members of both the cast and the crew. New Line, the studio behind the project, and Shia LaBeouf's publicist declined to comment on the development, and Olivia Wilde didn't respond to requests.
At the time that Shia LaBeouf was allegedly fired, Don't Worry, Darling had not yet started production, and the trade report doesn't offer any specific details about his behavior prior to his termination. The piece does quote one unnamed source close to the film who refers to the Honey Boy star as "not an easy guy to work with" and that there was a conflict that came from that and what's described as Olivia Wilde's "zero asshole policy" on set.
Don't Worry, Darling stared production this past October, and while not much is known about the plot of the film it's been revealed that it will be set in the 1950s and revolves around a housewife who discovers that her husband is hiding a disturbing secret. Florence Pugh and Harry Styles are playing the leads, but they are joined in the ensemble by an excellent supporting cast that includes Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Olivia Wilde herself. The movie is the actor/director's follow-up to 2019's critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy Booksmart, but will be wholly new genre territory as the movie has been described as a psychological horror story.
Filming on the movie had to hit pause for two weeks this fall due to a positive COVID-19 test on set, but it's reportedly now back on track. Don't Worry, Darling is being produced by and is set up for distribution with Warner Bros., but a release date has not yet been announced.
As for what the future holds for Shia LaBeouf in Hollywood, the answer is unclear. His next film, Kornél Mundruczó's Pieces of A Woman will be streaming on Netflix next month, but beyond that he doesn't have any upcoming projects. The actor has issued a public apology to FKA Twigs for his behavior, explaining that he has "no excuses for [his] alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations" and saying that he is ashamed of his history hurting the people closest to him.
