The Studio: Did Episode 4 Parody Olivia Wilde’s Infamous “Don’t Worry Darling” Scandal?

Olivia Wilde goes “full Fincher” in the fourth episode of The Studio, Apple TV+’s razor-sharp satire on Hollywood’s chaotic inner workings. Titled “The Missing Reel”, the episode finds Wilde playing a fictional version of herself: a visionary yet high-maintenance director losing control of an over-budget, film-noir production. 

While the movie-within-the-show is just a Chinatown-inspired thriller, Wilde’s character arc in The Studio seems to mirror the media circus that surrounded her real-life film Don’t Worry Darling—complete with on-set tension and whispers of sabotage.

So, did Olivia Wilde knowingly sign on to mock one of the most dramatic chapters of her career? In this article, we will talk about it.

A Hollywood Satire that hits Close to home

In “The Missing Reel,” Wilde directs Zac Efron in a moody noir shot entirely on film, causing massive delays and ballooning budgets. When a crucial reel mysteriously disappears on the last day of filming, Continental Studios execs Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) and Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz) step in to investigate. 

Behind the farce lies a wink at Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling drama, which made headlines for rumored feuds, her alleged romance with Harry Styles, and the now-infamous Venice Film Festival premiere. Much like her real-life reputation during that press tour, Wilde’s character is described as obsessive, difficult, and unprofessional.

One crew member says, “She made Zac do 40 takes of putting on a hat. It was f**king nuts. He was about to lose his sh*t.” And while Efron’s character is eventually cleared of wrongdoing, he confirms what many on set feel: “Everyone’s sick of her.”

But Wilde’s character can't see it. She claims, "Matt, this crew is my family. Each and every one is so devoted to the message of this film." Wilde leans fully into the caricature of a misunderstood auteur, which might have once felt like a cruel stereotype- but here, it becomes comedy gold. While the show never directly references Don’t Worry Darling, it doesn't exactly need to spell it out.

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How Olivia Wilde was Brought Onboard

According to The Studio co-creator Evan Goldberg, Wilde wasn’t just cast on a whim—she was deeply involved in shaping the character. “We had to meet her and convince her to do it and work on the character with her,” Goldberg told TV Insider.

Seth Rogen in an interview with IndieWire, said: “For someone like that, there’s like Olivia and four other people on the planet who could play that role. Thank god we went to her first, and she said yes.” This suggests that Wilde was probably ready to engage with the material beyond a surface-level joke.

Where can you Stream The Studio?

New episodes of The Studio are available to stream every Wednesday on Apple TV+. The fifth episode, titled, “The War” will air on April 16, 2025.

If you want to refresh your memory, we have recaps of Episode 1 & Episode 2. Episode 3 & Episode 4 recaps are provided below.

Episode 3 Recap: Matt vs. Ron Howard

In The Studio episode three, the satire continues as Ron Howard steps into the spotlight—playing himself—as Matt Remick faces another awkward dilemma. This time, the studio head must decide whether to tell the Oscar-winning director that the ending of his new film Alphabet City just doesn’t work.

The episode kicks off with Matt, Sal, and Quinn excitedly watching the final cut of Howard’s film, starring Anthony Mackie and Dave Franco. It starts strong, filled with action, humor, and emotional beats. But just when the film seems to have wrapped up with Mackie’s triumphant escape, a prolonged final scene reveals a twist involving his dead son—adding confusion, emotional weight, and an extra 20 minutes to the runtime.

Matt’s team agrees the scene should be cut for the film’s sake, but no one wants to deliver the note to Howard. Quinn freezes in front of Mackie, Sal invents a fake dead cousin to relate to Howard (and ends up crying), and even Mackie himself admits he hates the ending—but still won’t tell Howard.

The reason behind Matt’s hesitance? A traumatic encounter years ago when Howard humiliated him over a suggestion at a Beautiful Mind screening. That fear lingers—until Howard surprisingly brings it up during a meeting, mocking Matt once more. Pushed to his limit, Matt finally snaps, stands his ground, and tells Howard the truth.

In the end, Howard calls to apologize, agrees to cut the motel sequence, and the film moves ahead. The episode closes with Matt realizing that, like it or not, the hardest decisions at the studio are his to make.

Episode 4 Recap: Who Stole the reel and why Matt sold his car

After a slightly predictable episode three, The Studio bounces back with a clever, genre-driven mystery in episode four—this time diving deep into the moody aesthetics of neo-noir. The plot centers on a missing film reel from the set of Rolling Blockout, a movie being shot on analog film, and for Matt Remick, this missing reel is more than just lost footage—it’s an existential threat to the old-school filmmaking he loves.

Matt, the self-proclaimed last defender of celluloid, refuses to go digital and sees this missing reel as a potential death knell for film. His worst nightmare? Being remembered as “the man who killed film.” So, he and his ever-loyal executive Sal launch a full-blown investigation through Continental Studios.

Suspicions fall hard on Zac Efron after a series of clues—including an envelope full of cash, a suspicious costume designer, and an exclusive wrap party from which Matt and director Olivia Wilde were excluded. But the noir twists don’t stop there.

The real culprit? Olivia Wilde herself. Dissatisfied with the climax scene—and knowing reshoots on film would never be approved—she stole the reel to force a reshoot under the guise of a theft. It's a sly commentary on modern filmmaking’s obsession with perfection in the digital age.

Matt, desperate to save the future of analog filmmaking, makes a bold move. In true noir-hero fashion, he sells his own car to Zac Efron for $2 million just to fund the reshoot and keep Wilde and her film on celluloid.

Episode four blends a compelling whodunnit with a hilarious but heartfelt tribute to film purism, all while poking fun at Hollywood egos. It's a stylish return to form, with Matt literally and metaphorically riding off into the neon-soaked night—without a car, but with film still alive.