A24 has released the first trailer for Olivia Wilde’s The Invite, starring Wilde, Seth Rogan, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. The film is scheduled for limited theatrical release on June 26th by the distributor.
Written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the part-drama, part-comedy will follow Joe and Angela, a couple on thin ice. The official logline reads, “When you invite your mysterious upstairs neighbor to a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.” “Did they light the spark again or light a match and burn it all down?”
When “The Invite” premiered at Sundance in January, it captivated audiences and distributors alike. Variety previously reported that the deal sparked a multi-day bidding war that included Focus features, Neon, Netflix, Apple, Searchlight and new distributor Black Bear. Wilde received a standing ovation at the film festival after the screening.
“Seth and I both direct and star in movies, and there’s always going to be a moment where you’re like, ‘That was a terrible decision,'” Norton said during the closing Q&A. “I can’t overstate the grace and wisdom with which Olivia performed that performance and guided us.”
In his review, Variety magazine’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman even declared the film a “brave dinner party drama” that is “funny and never ceases to amaze.”
The Invite is Wilde’s third directorial role, following 2019’s Booksmart and 2023’s Don’t Worry Darling (Wilde also played Bunny in the latter). She also stars in the erotic thriller co-starring Cooper Hoffman in Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, which also premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
“The Invite” is produced by David Permut, Ben Browning and Megan Ellison. The film had a running time of 107 minutes and was rated R.
Watch the trailer below.
