Michael Kovac/FilmMagic for AFI
The Don’t Worry Darling film set was an ideal one to work on, according to cinematographer Matthew Libatique.
While speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Behind the Screen podcast, Libatique shared his experience working on the soon-to-be-released psychological thriller, directed by Olivia Wilde.
“This was probably the most harmonious set I’ve ever been on,” he said. “Olivia built a team that believed in her, and she believed in each and everybody on the set.”
“When you hear that there are rumors of acrimony on the set, I reject it. It wasn’t apparent at all,” he continued.
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Hinting at the off-screen drama surrounding the film, Libatique added, “Whatever happened, it happened way after I left and started doing something else.”
“I was never witness to anything, and I didn’t feel anything,” the two-time Oscar nominee noted. “You know, you get a feeling that there might be something going on, and I didn’t feel anything.”
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Don’t Worry Darling stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh as Jack and Alice, a young couple living in the seemingly perfect company town of Victory, California, in the 1950s. As cracks begin to surface in their idyllic community, Alice becomes obsessed with the nature of her husband’s work. Shia LaBeouf was originally set to play Jack, but in September 2020 it was revealed that the actor, 36, had departed the film and Styles, 28, had signed on in his place.
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From LaBeouf’s casting shakeup to Wilde’s romance with Styles, the movie has generated headlines from the moment it was announced in July 2019.
During the chat with THR, Libatique also said that Wilde, 38, “has something really special” as a director, adding that “she’s extremely visual and open and likes to take many chances.”
Meanwhile, when speaking of Pugh, 26, he said: “She could do anything.”
The film is Wilde’s second directorial project after 2019’s Booksmart, and the actress-turned-director has been open about the pressure she faces with her sophomore movie.
RELATED: Olivia Wilde Dismisses ‘Endless Tabloid Gossip’ and Avoids Shia LaBeouf Question at Press Conference
“It’s harder for women to get a second chance at directing,” Wilde told Variety. “Fewer people will invest in the second film of a woman than a man.”
Don’t Worry Darling is in theaters Sept. 23.
