Fifty Shades of Grey alum Dakota Johnson has entered talks to star in the growing ensemble of Olivia Wilde (Booksmart)’s next directorial effort, the psychological thriller Don’t Worry, Darling, according to Variety.
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Should Johnson’s deal go through, she would join an already impressive cast of Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow), Shia LaBeouf (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Honey Boy), Chris Pine (Wonder Woman 1984, Star Trek Beyond) and Wilde in a supporting role.
Don’t Worry, Darling will center on a 1950s housewife who uncovers a disturbing truth to her perfect life. Katie Silberman (Booksmart) will rewrite the screenplay for Wilde off of Shane and Cary Van Dyke’s original script.
New Line Cinemas, who are backing the project, was eager to work with Wilde following her directorial debut Booksmart. Wilde will also produce the film alongside Silbermann and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment.
Part of the deal from New Line includes an asking budget around $20 million, fees for acting, directing, for Silberman’s rewrite and the “rare” backend. The filmmakers and producers of Don’t Worry, Darling stand to receive 50 percent in profit participation once the movie breaks even, with the last time a similar deal was made was between Warner Bros. and Todd Phillips for his 2009 smash hit The Hangover.
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In front of the camera, Wilde was most recently seen on the big screen in Clint Eastwood’s 2019 biopic Richard Jewell, based on the American security guard who saved thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics but was subsequently chastised by the media and authorities and accused of being the terrorist behind it all. Though criticism was centered at the film’s portrayal of Wilde’s real-life reporter, Kathy Scruggs, it was still well-received and garnered an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for Kathy Bates’ portrayal of Jewell’s mother, however she lost both awards to Laura Dern for her turn in Marriage Story.
