EXCLUSIVE: Like something out of a well-worn Hollywood conspiracy, the mysterious envelope that Don’t Worry Darling director and star Olivia Wilde picked up for the New Line film during her CinemaCon presentation last night were legal documents belonging to Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.
Our understanding is that the Manila envelope, which was marked personal and confidential and placed on stage, was the Primetime Emmy winner’s custody papers.
Wilde and Sudeikis have been separated since late 2020 and share two children. Despite being engaged, the couple never officially tied the knot.
Deadline has reached out to Wilde and Sudeikis representatives and will update as we receive clarifications.
While representatives are quiet, what happened Tuesday was a very loud display, figuratively at least.
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Last night during the Warner Bros. CinemaCon session at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace, Wilde was briefly interrupted when an unidentified person approached her from the front rows and shoved a Manila envelope across the front of the stage towards her.
“That is for me?” asked Wilde.
She got the envelope and opened it. Like a pro, however, Wilde wasn’t shaken by what must have been a shock. After her private life was suddenly exposed to the public, the filmmaker continued to reach out to the audience, which was mainly made up of exhibitors, about her project. After the trailer for “Don’t Worry Darling” played, there was great applause.
Deadline originally heard last night that the envelope’s contents were unsolicited script. But we now know that is not the case.
Recently, it’s hard to imagine a spontaneous moment at CinemaCon where a spectator invades with a star onstage, and this certainly raises security concerns. It’s also a bitter move to sabotage a legally chartered star during his heyday on stage in front of 4,100 in the film industry. When papers are served on you, it is something that is orchestrated by the person actually serving legal documents. In order to enter the Colosseum for CinemaCon, non-industry visitors must purchase a pass.
What happened in Sin City last night certainly raises serious questions for the scrutiny of CinemaCon attendees.
When Deadline spoke to those involved in putting on the show at the Colosseum, they had no idea how the person got into the building or who they were. In fact, the CinemaCon producers just kept the Warner presentation going.
Note that CinemaCon is heavily staffed with security guards, who typically extensively check bags for footage and dangerous equipment, and usher crowds in and out of the event after each studio presentation. CinemaCon did not comment when the deadline was reached.
Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is out September 23. Eighteen studios bid on the thriller, which New Line won, funding the film with $20 million. Florence Pugh plays Alice, a 1950s housewife whose husband Jack (Harry Styles) is employed by a mysterious operation called the Victory Project. The organization is expected to change the world as we know it. The women in town are told to stay indoors, but Alice has a suspicion when she begins to witness acts of violence. The trailer is provocative and full of hot scenes between Pugh and Styles.
Nancy Tartaglione contributed to this article.