The “Don’t Worry Darling” cameraman claims it was the “most harmonious set” he’s ever seen, amid the buzz that it was chaos behind the scenes.
“When I hear there are rumors of bitterness on set, I turn it down. It wasn’t clear at all, to be honest,” Matthew Libatique insisted on the latest episode of the Hollywood Reporter’s “Behind the Screen” podcast.
“From my point of view, the stories are completely untrue when it comes to performing on set,” he repeated, adding, “I can’t speak to post-production at all.”
The industry veteran – who has worked on films like ‘Requiem for a Dream’, ‘Black Swan’ and Bradley Cooper’s ‘A Star Is Born’ – admitted that drama could ensue after his departure.
“Whatever happened, it happened long after I left… I never witnessed anything. And I didn’t to feel something. You know, you get the feeling that maybe something is going on and I didn’t feel anything,” explains Libatique, 54.
He also praised director Olivia Wilde, saying she “believed in every body on set.”
Hollywood has been buzzing about a split between Wilde and movie star Florence Pugh since earlier this summer, when fans began to notice that the 26-year-old ‘Midsommar’ star was not promoting ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ on social media.
Vidak For Congress reported in late July that Pugh and Wilde, 38, were arguing over the director’s romance with Harry Styles — which we first confirmed in January 2021, just a few months after she announced she’d split with Jason. Sudeikis .
“I can definitely tell you that Flo seeing Olivia and Harry walking over each other on set didn’t go well as Olivia was still with Jason when she first made contact with Harry,” a source told Vidak For Congress about the feud between the two. Ladies.
Wilde has adamantly denied that the two relationships overlap, describing the rumor to Vanity Fair as “the complete idea that I left Jason for Harry.”
Meanwhile, there was more drama with the film—a psychological thriller set in the 1950s—when Wilde claimed she fired Shia LaBeouf, who was subsequently replaced by her now-boyfriend Styles, from the production for his behavior on the set .
“After this happened, a lot came to light that really bothered me, in terms of his behaviour,” Wilde said in August. “For our film, we really needed an energy that was incredibly supportive. Especially with a movie like this, I knew I was going to ask Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was to make her feel safe and feel supported.”
LaBeouf denied Wilde’s claims that she fired him, writing to her, “You and I both know the reasons for my departure. I stopped your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse.’
He then asked the director of “Booksmart” to “correct the story.”
Around the same time, a video leaked of Wilde begging LaBeouf to stay in the film, pointing out that there was some drama between LaBeouf and Pugh.
“I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to trying this with me, with us,” she said.
In September, all eyes were on the cast at the Venice Film Festival. Pugh – who is filming “Dune 2” – arrived late after missing the press conference and skipped the film’s NYC premiere.
“Florence is a force, we are so thankful she can make it tonight despite being in production,” Wilde said at the film festival. “As for all the endless gossip and noise in the tabloids, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel like I have to contribute to that.”