Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton get together in the trailer for The Invite
A24 continues to bring the heat with a trailer for the new comedy that sparked a bidding war at Sundance. Olivia Wilde returns to directing with The Invite — a remake of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs. This is the first film she’s made since her wildly ambitious Don’t Worry Darling in 2022. According to our EIC, Chris Bumbray, after his screening, he states that Wilde “returns in fine form here with a movie that has much more in common with her earlier indie hit Booksmart, delivering a frequently hilarious depiction of modern marriage and changing norms, both sexual and otherwise.”
Wilde stars alongside Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton for the film, which seemingly takes place in one night at their apartment. She also directs from a script by Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) and Will McCormack, both of whom gained great acclaim with their film Celeste and Jesse Forever, and created the concept for Toy Story 4.
The plot synopsis for The Invite reads,
“A bickering married couple (Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde) invite their new neighbors (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz) over for a low-key dinner, only for it to devolve into a night of revelations that may end their fragile union for good.”
Praise for The Invite had attracted attention from a handful of potential buyers after its Sundance showing, in addition to A24, Netflix, Searchlight, Focus Features, Black Bear and Neon would compete for the opportunity to distribute the film. The bids had reportedly exceeded $10 million.
In his review, Bumbray concluded, “The Invite is also genuinely hilarious, especially once the topic of sexuality is broached. Wilde gets a lot of comic mileage out of Joe and Angela’s curiosity and Hawk and Pina’s complete lack of filter. She keeps the laughs coming at a brisk pace, with the 107-minute running time flying by. Yet it’s not all bawdy humor—there’s real emotional catharsis here too. Given the standing ovation I witnessed after the screening, the film seems bound to walk away from the festival with a strong distribution deal, meaning a major release should be forthcoming. Hopefully, it plays in theaters, as Wilde is a vocal advocate of the theatrical experience and went to the trouble of shooting the film on 35mm. It deserves to be seen on the big screen.”
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