Forty members of the crew and production team on Olivia Wilde’s new movie Don’t Worry Darling have spoken out to dispute “the absurd gossip” surrounding alleged on-set unrest during the production of the New Line Cinema pic starring Harry Styles, Olivia Pugh and Chris Pine.
The statement, received by Deadline, comes in direct response to a recent report in Vulture about an on-set “screaming match” between Wilde, who directed as well as co-starred, and Pugh, the female lead, during the pic’s 2021 production.
“As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article,” reads the statement, signed by producers including co-writer Katie Silberman, various below-the-line crew members and director of photography Matthew Libatique.
“Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set of Don’t Worry Darling are completely false,” it continues. “Olivia is an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production. She ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved. There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our cast.
“We are happy to put our names on this, as real people who worked on the film, and who have witnessed and benefitted from the collaborative and safe space Olivia creates as a director and leader. We’re also thrilled that the movie is in theaters this weekend. We can’t wait for you to see it on the big screen.”
See the list of the statement’s signees below.
Rumors have circulated about unrest on set since before Don’t Worry Darling‘s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received an five-minute standing ovation. Pugh did not attend the press events surrounding the pic in Venice or at an Imax fan Q&A, sparking tabloid headlines.
Pugh however, has been on a tight schedule working on Dune: Part Two; she also wasn’t at the Toronto Film Festival for her Netflix movie The Wonder. Ahead of Friday’s opening in theaters, Pugh took to her socials to promote the pic enthusiastically.
Wilde told Stephen Colbert during an appearance on The Late Show that she had no problem with Pugh, saying “there’s nothing cooler than a busy actress.”
As for the movie itself, the film opened this weekend in North America to $19.2 million, after distributor Warner Bros had been eyeballing a frame of around $17 million.
Here are the statement’s signatories:
Chris Baugh, location manager
Josh Bramer, property master
Katie Byron, production designer
Matthew Libatique, director of photography
Steve Morrow, sound mixer
Arianne Phillips, costume designer
Alex G. Scott, executive producer
Katie Silberman, writer/producer
Heba Thorisdottir, makeup department head
Eliana Alcouloumre, production assistant
Mary Florence Brown, art director
Monica Chamberlain, assistant costume designer
Conrad Curtis, second second assistant director
Raphael Di Febo, assistant property master
Rachael Ferrara, set decorator
Jake Ferrero, lighting technician
Jeff Ferrero, gaffer
Zach Gulla, set dresser
Yani Gutierrez, production assistant
David Hecht, assistant property master
Becca Holstein, director’s assistant
Nic Jones, programmer
Michael Kaleta, boom operator
Gerardo Lara, electrician
JB Leconte, rig programmer
Lexi Lee, set dresser
John Mang, dolly grip
Mark Mann, best boy
Gideon Markham, lighting console programmer
Alex Mazekian, graphic artist
Melissa McSorley, food stylist
Bryan Mendoza, sound utility
Luis Moreno, rigging gaffer
Noelle Pinola, set dresser
Scott Sakamoto, A camera operator
Chris Scharffenberg, set dresser
Grace Shaw, production assistant
Alexander Szuch, electrician
Erika Toth, art director
Tricia Yoo, set costumer