“Don’t want to see inauthenticity anymore.”: Olivia Wilde claims this is why today's generation wants to see less sex in movies

2026 Sundance Film Festival - "I Want Your Sex" Premiere - Source: Getty
2026 Sundance Film Festival - "I Want Your Sex" Premiere - Source: Getty

Olivia Wilde is an extremely talented actress who has appeared in iconic roles over the course of her career. The multifaceted entertainer has also recently pivoted to the director’s chair as her career progresses, with two features now under her belt, Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling.

In the latest news about the former Vinyl star, Olivia Wilde arrived in Sundance on January 22, along with her co-stars Cooper Hoffman and Channing Tatum, to promote their upcoming thriller I Want Your Sex. While on the red carpet, she caught up with a Variety reporter who asked her about depicting sex in film, and her response was telling.

Wilde claimed that Gen Z seemingly wants less sex in movies and television because they

“don’t want to see inauthenticity anymore.”

The actress went on to say,

“The way that sex has been portrayed in film for a long time hasn’t been particularly realistic.”

Interestingly, while I Want Your Sex places a unique focus on nudity and S&M, Olivia Wilde and the rest of the cast made sure to clarify that the heart of the film is truly what drives it.


Olivia Wilde - I Want Your Sex, more

During a post-screening question and answer panel with the director and some cast members, Olivia Wilde elaborated on her process when it came to setting her mind on playing the role of an artist struggling with their mortality.

“I was just so excited by Gregg’s enthusiasm for the medium, for the process. I wish more people made movies like [Gregg]. You just said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s get cool people together who want to tell a story, and let’s just do it.

She added,

And it doesn’t have to be a whole thing, and it doesn’t have to feel like this corporate project. It has to just come from the heart.’ And I wanted to be a part of something like that.”

Interestingly, Wilde’s co-star Chase Sui Wonders echoed the sentiment that sex wasn’t at the core of the film. When approached by reporters, she gave the following take on their upcoming film.

“Ultimately, the sex feels secondary. It’s a story about being obsessed with someone…It’s just a tragic love story.”

Olivia Wilde is currently in production on Behemoth!, a Tony Gilroy film, alongside Pedro Pascal. The cast and crew were spotted as recently as December filming in Los Angeles.


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Edited by Tanisha Aggarwal