Olivia Wilde’s ‘The Invite’ sets release date as trailer reveals chaotic party with Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz
Olivia Wilde-helmed 'The Invite' has a release date and a slapstick-funny trailer. A24 dropped the first trailer for the film starring marquee names in Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. 'The Invite' is set for a limited theatrical release on June 26. Penned by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the dramedy follows Joe and Angela, a married couple in the last legs of a strained relationship. Things begin to unravel when they invite their neighbors over for a meal. The movie is a remake of the Spanish film, 'The People Upstairs'. The movie was announced in 2021, but development began only last year, with Wilde announced to take over as director from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who were tapped to originally direct the film.
"We feel a very strong connection with you guys," Cruz says in the trailer. "It’s like a little game we have." This is followed by Rogen with a hilarious question. "Just to be clear, you, you, her — and me? Me, too?" he asks, when Cruz responds, "Yes, also you." The official synopsis reads, "Joe and Angela (Wilde and Seth Rogen) are on thin ice, and tonight might be when it all falls apart. Unfortunately, their upstairs neighbors (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) are about to arrive for dinner, and everything that can go wrong goes worse". David Permut, Megan Ellison, and Ben Browning serve as the producers. Previously, Amy Adams, Paul Rudd, and Tessa Thompson were slated to star in the film, but the casting saw a major overhaul.
Per Variety, the dramedy opened to positive critical acclaim when it premiered at Sundance earlier this January. The outlet added that the bidding war included Netflix, Neon, Apple, Searchlight, Focus Features, and Black Bear. Ahead of the film's debut at Sundance, Wilde told THR that she was grateful to have worked on 'The Invite' and was ecstatic with the reception. "It was the kind of experience I’ve been dreaming of my whole career — a movie that would just allow a group of creative people to come together and actually, truly collaborate. And this film was ripe for that." Early reviews of the film were largely positive. The Guardian called the film "genuinely funny and uncommonly intelligent comedy for adults". This was seconded by Deadline, calling the film a feature that "explores dynamics of sex and relationships with raw and endearing honesty." Only time will tell if 'The Invite' can have the same impact on the audience.
