For Olivia Wilde, the largest disappointment surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling” was never the headlines themselves; it was watching the conversation drift away from the film she spent years bringing to life.
Because the actress and director returns to the promotional circuit together with her recent movie, “The Invite,” she says time has given her enough distance to look back on one in every of Hollywood’s most scrutinized productions with fresh perspective.
While the experience stays painful, Wilde now believes she will be able to finally separate the work from the storm that engulfed it.
Nearly 4 years after “Don’t Worry Darling” dominated entertainment headlines, Olivia Wilde says the general public fascination with the film’s off-screen drama prevented audiences from engaging with what the psychological thriller was actually attempting to explore.
Appearing on “The Louis Theroux” podcast, the 42-year-old agreed with the host’s statement that the film had been “derailed by publicity” and caught up in “many multidimensional scandals.”
During its release, attention shifted away from the movie itself as reports circulated about alleged friction between Wilde and Florence Pugh, speculation over pay disputes, and the extraordinary scrutiny surrounding her romance with co-star Harry Styles.
Reflecting on that period, Wilde admitted the relentless deal with the encompassing drama got here on the film’s expense.
“I feel it did hurt the film needless to say because we didn’t get to have the conversations about what the film was attempting to say,” she explained, adding that it was especially frustrating considering the challenges of constructing the movie throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wilde Calls The Experience A ‘Tornado From The Inside’
For Olivia Wilde, one in every of the toughest parts was watching years of creative work change into secondary to web discourse.
She identified that “Don’t Worry Darling” was produced on a comparatively modest $30 million budget but achieved a much grander visual scale because of the work of cinematographer Matty Libatique and production designer Katie Byron.
“But we never got to discuss that, so I feel it hurt the film,” she said.
The experience also reshaped how Wilde views fame and online culture. Looking back, the Hollywood star admitted she had underestimated how quickly social media narratives could eat each a project and the people behind it.
“It hurt me needless to say, because I used to be so naive up until that time concerning the grinder, the rubbish disposal that the web could be,” the “Booksmart” actress shared.
Although the ordeal stays one of the difficult periods of her profession, Wilde says the passing years have helped her view it in another way.
“So at this point, I actually have enough of a perspective on it and that permits me to experience it as an enchanting time,” she said, adding, “It’s interesting to witness a tornado from the within.”
Olivia Wilde Says ‘The Invite’ Has Been A Healing Return To The Highlight
Returning to advertise “The Invite” initially filled Wilde with uncertainty after the whole lot that unfolded throughout the “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour. She admitted she questioned whether stepping back into one other round of interviews would reopen old wounds.
As an alternative, the experience has reminded her what film promotion can feel like when the conversation stays centered on the work.
“Well, it’s interesting because that is my first time back into the press cycle since then and I did wonder, would this feel quite traumatising?” Wilde recalled.
Moderately than revisiting tabloid headlines, she has found herself discussing the creative decisions behind her latest project, something she says has been unexpectedly restorative.
“I find that the conversations around The Invite are so splendidly interesting to me, and I’ve actually been allowed to have them,” she remarked, further sharing, “So, it’s been actually form of healing because I understand that it’s not at all times a garbage disposal.”
Wilde Says The Invite Helped Her Move Past The ‘Failure’ Of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
Olivia Wilde had previously acknowledged that the mixed reception to “Don’t Worry Darling” ultimately gave her the boldness to take larger creative risks with “The Invite.”
While promoting her recent A24 film, the movie star reflected on how watching her 2022 thriller earn a 38% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes forced her to let go of the fear of failure.
“I consider in early failure,” Wilde told Variety in June, explaining that surviving a project so heavily criticized became unexpectedly freeing since it reminded her how subjective filmmaking could be.
Moderately than attempting to chase expectations after the success of “Booksmart,” Wilde said she approached “The Invite” with a greater willingness to experiment, shooting the film sequentially over 21 days and embracing an intimate, character-driven story.
Olivia Wilde Says Diane Keaton’s Influence Is ‘All Over’ ‘The Invite’
Wilde paid an emotional tribute to Diane Keaton by dedicating “The Invite” to the Oscar-winning actress, whom she credits as one in every of the project’s biggest creative inspirations.
Speaking on the film’s Los Angeles premiere, Wilde revealed that she had hoped Keaton, who died in October 2025, would have the prospect to see the movie.
“I actually wanted to indicate this movie to Diane. I don’t think that there may be an Invite without Diane Keaton because she’s in so lots of the movies that inspired this film,” Wilde told The Hollywood Reporter.
She praised Keaton for portraying women who defied convention, adding that she was “the primary actress I recognized to form of represent a very unique and sophisticated woman.”
Wilde also recalled how Keaton personally encouraged her to direct and be fearless in her profession. As a tribute, “The Invite” closes with a straightforward dedication reading, “For Diane.”