After one of those classic, late-night Sundance bidding wars, Olivia Wilde has scored her biggest festival win yet. Her latest directorial project, The Invite, has officially landed at A24, sealing what is now being described as the biggest sale of the festival so far.
According to industry buzz, the deal came together after at least one all-night negotiation session, with several major players aggressively chasing the film. In the end, A24 emerged victorious with an eight-figure acquisition, a price tag that insiders believe is unlikely to be topped at this year’s Sundance.
A packed bidding table at Sundance
The competition for The Invite was intense from the outset. Studios including Neon, Focus Features, and Netflix were all in the mix. Adding to the drama, Warner Bros. made a late push through its newly launched indie label, hoping to announce its arrival with a headline-grabbing buy.
Despite the crowded field, A24’s offer ultimately sealed the deal, reinforcing the studio’s reputation as a go-to home for filmmaker-driven, adult-skewing cinema.
What The Invite is about
A relationship comedy with sharp edges, The Invite is a remake of the Spanish-language film Sentimental. The story centers on a couple played by Wilde herself and Seth Rogen, whose marriage is quietly unraveling. Their fragile dynamic is put under a microscope during an awkward dinner with their mysterious neighbors, portrayed by Ed Norton and Penélope Cruz.
As the evening unfolds, jealousy, intimacy, and unspoken resentment collide, forcing both couples to confront what’s missing—and what might already be lost—in their relationships.
Standing ovation and strong critical response
The film’s Saturday night premiere at Sundance’s iconic Eccles Theatre was met with a standing ovation, an early sign that The Invite had struck a nerve with audiences. Critics followed suit, praising Wilde’s confident direction and the film’s grown-up approach to modern relationships.
In its Sundance review, The Hollywood Reporter called the film “smart, sophisticated, and incisively acted,” highlighting its sharp dissection of marriage, desire, and emotional honesty—while also noting that it leaves room for hope amid the wreckage.
Why Wilde went independent
Ahead of the festival, Wilde revealed that she deliberately chose to make The Invite outside the traditional studio system. The decision gave her creative freedom that she felt was essential to the project, including shooting in Los Angeles, filming scenes in chronological order, and allowing weeks of rehearsal—luxuries that are often impossible on studio schedules.
Describing the experience, Wilde said it was the kind of collaborative filmmaking environment she had been chasing throughout her career, one where creative voices were encouraged rather than constrained.
A familiar creative partnership
The Invite also reunites Wilde with Annapurna Pictures and producer Megan Ellison, who backed Wilde’s acclaimed directorial debut Booksmart. The collaboration adds another layer of confidence to the project’s prospects under A24’s banner.
The sale was co-represented by UTA Independent Film Group and FilmNation, with CAA representing Wilde and Cruz, and UTA handling Rogen, Norton, and the film’s key creatives.
Final words
With The Invite, Olivia Wilde has not only delivered a crowd-pleasing Sundance hit but also reaffirmed her standing as a filmmaker audiences—and studios—are willing to bet big on. Landing at A24 after a fierce bidding war, the film now looks poised to join the studio’s growing slate of sharp, adult-focused crowd favorites.
If Sundance buzz is any indication, The Invite could be one of A24’s most talked-about releases yet—and another defining chapter in Wilde’s evolution behind the camera.
