Do Worry Darling: Is All Press Good Press?

Like many, the drama around Don’t Worry Darling, the new film directed by Olivia Wilde, drew me in quickly. Everywhere you look, whether it's online, on Twitter and of course on TikTok, you’ll find the sordid details, trying to untangle a web of fact and fiction. The behind-the-scenes drama is garnering a lot of attention. It also had impeccable timing. A long holiday weekend in the United States afforded fans plenty of time to scroll and investigate if Harry Styles just spit on Chris Pine. Just google “Olivia Wilde” and an abundance of news articles appear. https://twitter.com/OffColourOrg/status/1567231528324808713 Here's a PG-rated breakdown of what’s unfolded: Don't Worry Darling premiered Monday at the Venice International Film Festival and is scheduled for release later this month. The movie stars Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Chris Pine and Florence Pugh. Production of the film was reportedly tense, and the recent red carpet interactions of cast members left the public to speculate on rumors of in-fighting and allegations of an on-set romance between its director and a leading actor. Missed opportunities Honestly, no. Yes, it captured my attention, but not in a way that will translate at the box office. When browsing social media, there’s little excitement surrounding the movie. In fact, we have yet to see a synopsis of its plot. What a missed opportunity—tensions have eclipsed the film itself. The dangers of bad press can’t be ignored. There is such a thing as bad publicity. Don’t Worry Darling’s off-screen drama is overshadowing its potential on-screen success. The negative PR is traveling fast and shows no signs of slowing. Imagine spending millions of dollars on a brand strategy to have its impact diminished because of unwanted publicity. Think of the messaging being ignored because of the behind-the-scenes (and second-screen) drama: A female director premieres her second effort, following the success of her first film. An up-and-coming actress continues her rise through Hollywood’s ranks. A pop star takes on the big screen in his first feature film. The impact and consequences What the public got instead: A feud that reportedly involves spit. Speculation of an affair and the divorce papers served. Rumors about one of the film’s stars skipping out on a press tour. Not to mention, how has and how will it impact the individual celebrities? Yes, who can touch Harry Styles at this point—he’s everywhere. But what about the others? It feels like a number of people have turned on Olivia Wilde as more and more comes out, and at some point, it may impact who she has in her films moving forward and how her films get funded. People online are taking sides, trying to develop timelines of relationships and determining who was in the right and who was in the wrong, instead of focusing on the film itself—which, while getting several mediocre reviews, also has both Pugh and Styles receiving praise for their work. Not being addressed is another byproduct of all the drama: The overshadowing of the countless number of films being debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Don’t Worry Darling is dominating headlines while reviews of other works, good and bad, are lost. A quick scroll through Twitter reveals several films that received thunderous standing ovations. You will see the Oscar conversation beginning in earnest with many presenting films. Will that trump a headline or a meme about the actors themselves? Likely not. Will the drama turn into box office dollars? Only time and TikTok will tell. Cinema Pre-Show Ads Have Gotten Longer—Here’s Why

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Do Worry Darling: Is All Press Good Press?

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