Is All Press Good Press? Let’s Look at "Don’t Worry Darling."
We’ve all heard that old publicity saying that “all press is good press.” But is this true? Does scandal and tabloid drama actually attract consumers? By analyzing the press surrounding 2022’s most scandal-riddled film Don’t Worry Darling alongside the film’s box-office grosses, we can begin to understand if “bad press” really can help a film sell.
Let’s discuss one of 2022’s most anticipated films, the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. Directed by Olivia Wilde (who also plays a supporting role), Don’t Worry Darling features a star-studded cast including Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll. The film was Wilde’s second directorial project, following the aspiring filmmaker’s 2019 hit, Booksmart. With a cast of such notable Hollywood A-listers, the film had been placed in a cinematic spotlight months before it was even released. Unfortunately, the press around these celebrities was anything but flattering.
The sea of scandal started with rumors swirling around an affair between Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles while Wilde was still engaged to her ex-fiancé, Jason Sudeikis (who is a good friend of Florence Pugh). Next, while Wilde was promoting the film at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April, she was served divorce papers while on-stage. Don’t Worry Darling continued to be a trending topic in the media for months as scandal seemed to plague the film. From feuding rumors between director Wilde and star Florence Pugh, to drama surrounding the “firing” of Shia LaBeouf, to star Florence Pugh skipping the Venice Film Festival press-junket for the film (Aperol Spritz in hand), there never seemed to be a dull moment in the media circus that was Don’t Worry Darling. Believe it or not, there was even large speculation that Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine during the Venice Film Festival, as Styles appeared to do so in a captured clip of the two stars.
On top of the negative press surrounding Wilde’s anticipated project, the film received a slew of negative reviews from critics. For starters, the film received a score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes by critics. Many publications criticized the film and Wilde’s skills, with The New York Times claiming Wilde “isn’t a strong enough filmmaker at this point to navigate around the story’s weaknesses, much less transcend them.” With the plethora of negative press and harsh reviews the film received, all the Don’t Worry Darling team could do was anxiously await their opening weekend box-office grosses.
Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling grossed $19.2 million domestically and $10.8 million internationally at the box office during its opening weekend. The film was estimated to earn between $17 million to $20 million, domestically, during its opening weekend, with some projections as high as $25 million. So, looking at those box office projections, $19.2 million was a comfortable domestic takeaway for the film’s opening. As of October 23, the film has surpassed $82.9 million globally, having not even premiered in the entirety of its global market yet. With a budget of $35 million, Don’t Worry Darling made a comfortable profit, and can leave all of its surrounding drama in the past.
While we will never know for sure how much the film would have made without the surrounding sea of scandal, one thing is for sure: Don’t Worry Darling was a trending topic months prior to its release. The media could not get enough of the drama surrounding the upcoming film. Tik Toks, Tweets, and memes about the film went viral. Despite the excessively poor reviews the film received from critics along with the flood of negative media attention, audiences still swarmed to theaters. Yes, the star power of the cast definitely contributed to the onslaught of ticket purchases. Harry Styles certainly knows how to draw out audiences. However, almost anyone with a social media account was receiving weekly updates about every detail regarding the ongoing drama of the film. Was this media attention negative? Yes. But was the media attention free publicity for the film? Also yes. While the film received nothing but bad press and poor reviews, Don’t Worry Darling managed not to flop, but instead triumph. With Don’t Worry Darling’s unexpected success, we now must ask ourselves: Is all press good press?
The short answer to this question? No. It’s 2022, and “Cancel Culture” exists. According to Dictionary.com, “Cancel Culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.” In the age of Cancel Culture, celebrities and corporations take extra precautions to avoid being “canceled” because in the eyes of the media, there is rarely ever any redemption for cancel culture’s victims. The “canceled” figure or company will lose money, sponsorships, support, and respect. So… in short, not all press is good press.
In the case of Don’t Worry Darling, however, the bad press around the film was turned into good press. The cast, crew, and creative team of the film did not “objectively offend” any individual or group of people. Rather, the petty drama and scandal surrounding the film served as a source of entertainment to audiences. Don’t Worry Darling sparked playful media commentary, with memes and sarcastic Twitter threads capturing audiences’ attention and creating buzz around the film. The media consuming audience could exchange light-hearted discourse, poking fun at the negative press surrounding the film. The trending hashtags (such as #SpitGate in the case of the Harry Styles/Chris Pine spitting rumor) and memes are the type of press that could actually garner ticket sales despite a 38% critical approval rating.
What’s clear after the whole media circus surrounding Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling? Press can be everything, darling.
