It would be hard for me to believe you haven’t heard about the film “Don’t Worry Darling,”— the R-rated psychological thriller which premiered on Sept. 23. What started as an anticipated release quickly spiraled into stories of rumored spitting, contradictory discussions about female pleasure and seating arrangements comparable to a holiday dinner with divorced parents. The press had a field day, and it’s safe to say most people were, in fact, worried.
The film follows a 1950s housewife, Alice (Florence Pugh) living with her husband Jack (Harry Styles) in an experimental community akin to a utopia.
With Olivia Wilde in the director’s chair for the second time and Pugh and Styles in leading roles, the film was highly anticipated from the start. However, before the release, a slew of drama offscreen dominated the news.
Two main conversations arose: the firing of actor Shia LaBeouf and alleged clashes between Pugh and Wilde.
LaBeouf was originally starring alongside Pugh when the film was announced in April 2020. In September, Styles replaced LaBeouf due to a “scheduling conflict.” It was later confirmed in December that Wilde fired LaBeouf because he “displayed poor behavior.” A few months after his departure, FKA Twigs, a Grammy-award-winning singer, dancer, and actress, filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf alleging sexual battery.
LaBeouf asserted in August he chose to leave because he didn’t feel the actors were given “adequate time to rehearse” and released a video of Wilde asking him not to quit the film. “You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo,” Wilde said in the video, which caused the internet to question her character. The rift between Wilde and Pugh was not initially obvious to fans during production, but audiences began to notice with time.
Now, a couple of weeks after the release, where does the film stand?
With a budget of $35 million, the film made decent figures with a $19.2 million domestic box office opening. This sits right between “A Simple Favor” ($16 million in 2018) and “The Girl on the Train” ($24 million in 2016). With films of equal star power, it appeared that the months of social media discussion did not appear to tip the theater numbers over the edge.
Despite its 6.3 stars on IMDb and 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film still managed to offer what Forbes considers four of the five “key elements for a viable studio programmer” – an all-star cast, a marquee director, an easy-to-pitch concept, and the promise of cinematic escapism.
Were these “key elements” enough to carry over for a second weekend?
According to the numbers, no. “Don’t Worry Darling” dropped 62% to earn $7.3 million domestically in its second weekend. This is a harsher drop than “A Simple Favor” (-36%) and “The Girl on the Train” (-50%). Opening weekend is all about pre-release interest and marketing, but the weeks following are what determine whether a film has found success beyond its premiere.
As of the release of this article, the movie has grossed over $43 million domestically.
While many of the components required for a remarkable film were fulfilled, it’s clear that much more is needed to maintain success over time. As much as a spectacle engages millions online, it isn’t enough to convince people to go out and see a film. Today’s audiences need convincing beyond online drama to spark interest.