‘Don’t Worry, Darling’ Starts Strong with $3.1M in Previews
Olivia Wilde’s second directorial effort, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, has been engulfed in behind-the-scenes drama in the weeks leading up to its release.
Don’t Worry, Darling, a high-profile film from Warner Bros., began its American box office run with a healthy $3.1 million in Thursday previews and a special Imax showing on Monday. It’s tough to predict how far ahead the picture will be.
Don’t Worry, Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde, was the most talked-about entry at the Venice Film Festival, as it faced a lot of difficulties, including accusations of animosity between Wilde and star actress Florence Pugh.
Tracking and Warner Bros. anticipate a $17 million first weekend. However, based on advance ticket sales, exhibitors believe the weekend total will be between $20 million and $24 million (some think even higher). The film was made with a relatively low budget of $35 million.
Analysts believe the film’s most valuable asset in terms of box office performance will be the legions of younger ladies devoted to Harry Styles, who plays alongside Pugh and Chris Pine in Wilde’s high-concept psychological thriller about a young couple living in an idyllic, cult-like environment.
Hollywood insiders are skeptical that the general public is interested in the off-screen drama. The publicity, if anything, raises awareness.
Tepid evaluations are more concerning. Don’t worry, Darling now has a 35% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, lowering its chances of winning an award and making it more difficult to attract older individuals, who are known to rely on reviews when determining whether to go to the movies.
Don’t Worry Darling goes against the second weekend of The Woman King and the re-release of Avatar, the top-earning film of all time.
Director James Cameron and his producing partner Jon Landau are in the midst of prepping for the December release sequel of Avatar: The Way of Water and returning the original movie to cinemas is just one component of a sprawling marketing campaign that’s being orchestrated by Disney and 20th Century Studios.
Thursday night preview screenings of Avatar were not held.