Olivia Wilde opens up on firing Shia LaBeouf from 'Don't Worry Darling'; 'His process...'

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh are all set to star in the upcoming thriller mystery Don't Worry Darling, helmed by Olivia Wilde. The movie will mark Wilde's second outing as a director and is set to arrive in theatres next month. While the film's production began back in 2020, the Grammy Award-winner was not the film's lead as he replaced Transformers star, Shia LaBeouf. As the film is just a few weeks away from its release, Wilde recently revealed the reason behind firing LaBeouf.

In a recent interview with Variety, Olivia Wilde broke her silence and revealed the reason behind recasting Shia LaBeouf as Jack in her upcoming film Don't Worry Darling. Initially, Styles was Wilde's first choice as the film's lead but the singer was busy with his tour. In 2020, when the production of the film was starting, Olivia made last-minute changes and fired the 36-year-old actor. At that time, the studio cited Scheduling conflicts for recasting Styles in the place of LaBeouf. 

Now, Olivia Wilde revealed that LaBeouf's process was not as "conducive to the ethos" as it was demanded in her production. She further quipped LaBeouf had a process that requires a "combative energy" which she does not believe is conducive to the best performances. Wilde added that it was her job to protect the film's cast and create a safe and trusting environment.

She said, "I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work. His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions." "He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job," she added.

A few months later, Shia LaBeouf's ex-girlfriend and Honey Boy co-star FKA Twigs sued him for sexual battery. Talking about LaBeouf after firing him, Wilde said, "A lot came to light after this happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behaviour." She further wished the actor health and evolution. She further added that for her film, her priority was to make Florence Pugh feel safe as she had to ask her to be "very" vulnerable at times. 

More about Don't Worry Darling

The upcoming film will see Harry Styles and Florence Pugh play a married couple. The film will also feature Chris Pine, Gemma Chan and Sydney Chandler in pivotal roles. The film is all set to release on September 23, 2022. 

Image: AP