Olivia Wilde shares the mood board she made as inspiration for Florence Pugh and Harry Styles’ characters in Don’t Worry Darling. Pugh and Styles will star in the upcoming psychological thriller alongside Wilde, who also directed the film. Don’t Worry Darling tells the story of Alice and Jack Chambers (Pugh and Styles), a married couple living in a 1950s suburban utopia called Victory, home of the so-called "Victory Project". Their picture-perfect life begins to implode as Alice uncovers disturbing truths about the community and the people who created it.
Don't Worry Darling is based on a story originally written by Dick Van Dyke’s grandsons, Carey and Shane Van Dyke, which had been on a list of screenplays that have yet to find producers called the Black List. Wilde collaborated with Booksmart writer Katie Silberman to expand on the Van Dykes’ ideas, and she has revealed that her final product contained elements of Inception, The Matrix, and The Truman Show. That has only added to the mystery surrounding Don't Worry Darling, which also stars Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll. Set to debut in theaters this fall, it stands as one of the most anticipated movies for the back half of 2022.
Wilde’s mood board, which she posted as an Instagram story on her account, reveals some of the inspiration behind Alice and Jack. It features snapshots of Pugh and Styles, as well as pictures of 1950s entertainment icons such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Brigitte Bardot. Check out a screenshot of the mood board below:
Between her starry leads and some truly fascinating inspirations, Wilde has all the ingredients for a film that should bring people to the theater if only to see how she combines these elements together. Don't Worry Darling has so far drummed up plenty of intrigue with its trailers and premise, and Wilde's mood board has likely only sparked more theories. Though the images Wilde chose might not reveal much about the plot, they speak to who Alice and Jack are as characters. Pugh's mood board in particular has some perplexing images in the top left-hand corner that seem to hint at her shifting reality and status as a model housewife. Don't Worry Darling has an interesting concept that also feels like it could be eerily relevant to the political climate of today. It does harken back to the 50s, after all – an era defined by values of tradition and conformity. It’s the perfect stomping ground for a movie looking to flip those things upside down.
Exciting premise aside, Don't Worry Darling marks Wilde's first outing as a director since 2019’s Booksmart, which served as her directorial debut. Not only did Booksmart prove that Wilde has the chops, it received a level of acclaim from critics and audiences alike that would have been impressive even for a director with a much longer resumé. As Wilde has shown with her pre-production work, it looks like she's brought an impressive level of creativity to Don't Worry Darling, making this a fascinating sophomore effort. Don’t Worry Darling will premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival before its theatrical release, so audiences will get an idea of what lies ahead soon enough.
Source: Olivia Wilde/Instagram
