Olivia Wilde’s buzzy Sundance comedy “The Invite” is heating up Hollywood, with A24 and Focus Features battling over a $12M deal.
Fresh off a rapturous Sundance Film Festival debut, Olivia Wilde is once again at the center of the indie film conversation.
Her latest directorial effort, The Invite, has become one of the most sought-after titles in Park City, igniting a high-stakes bidding war between prestige distributors A24 and Focus Features.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, offers for The Invite have climbed past $12 million, narrowing the field after several major players initially expressed interest. Neon, Netflix, Apple, Searchlight and newcomer Black Bear were all in the mix early on. But as bids rose and the competition intensified, those companies stepped back.
A key factor: Wilde’s clear desire for a traditional theatrical release, something A24 and Focus Features are both known for delivering.
Rather than focusing on spectacle, The Invite thrives on intimacy and sharp observation. The film unfolds over the course of a dinner party involving a married couple at odds and their intriguing upstairs neighbors, who reveal themselves to be swingers.
What begins as an awkward social evening soon turns into a revealing and often hilarious exploration of modern relationships.
Wilde directs from a script by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and also stars alongside Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. The movie is an English-language remake of the Spanish comedy The People Upstairs, reimagined with a distinctly American sensibility.
Critics were quick to embrace the film. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised it as a “bravura dinner-party dramedy,” comparing it to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? filtered through the lens of vintage Woody Allen. He highlighted the film’s originality and its fresh, surprising take on how couples connect — and fall apart.
The Invite marks Wilde’s third turn behind the camera, following Booksmart in 2019 and Don’t Worry Darling in 2023. Wilde also had another reason to celebrate at Sundance this year: she appeared on screen in Gregg Araki’s erotic thriller I Want Your Sex, co-starring Cooper Hoffman.
For Wilde, The Invite feels like a confident next step — and for Hollywood buyers, it’s clearly an invitation they don’t want to miss.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sundance Film Festival
