Olivia Wilde's 'The Invite' Trailer Teases Couple's Dinner Drama

The A24 film puts a modern spin on the classic 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' premise.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:09pm by Ben Kaplan

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An abstract close-up photograph featuring shattered glass and glittering sequins, creating a high-contrast, high-fashion aesthetic that captures the dramatic, high-stakes mood of the film.The trailer for 'The Invite' teases a tense, glamorous dinner party where tensions between two couples boil over.San Francisco Today

The first trailer for Olivia Wilde's upcoming film 'The Invite' has been released, giving audiences a glimpse of the Sundance Film Festival's biggest breakout of the year. The film is a modern take on the classic couple-on-couple dinner-party drama, set in San Francisco and following a normal-ish couple, played by Wilde and Seth Rogen, whose insane upstairs neighbors, played by Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz, come over for dinner.

Why it matters

The Invite is generating significant buzz after its Sundance premiere, kicking off a bidding war that landed the film at A24. Wilde's adaptation of the 2020 Spanish film 'The People Upstairs' promises to put a fresh spin on the classic 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' premise, exploring themes of modern relationships and San Francisco culture.

The details

The trailer suggests the new couple, played by Norton and Cruz, may introduce some form of polyamory, which leads to tensions and conflict between the two pairs. Based on the trailer, it seems the dinner party does not go as planned, with Rogen's character eventually shouting at Wilde's that 'They're fucking with us'.

  • The Invite premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2026.
  • The film is set to be released in theaters this July.

The players

Olivia Wilde

An American actress, director, and producer who is directing and starring in 'The Invite'.

Seth Rogen

A Canadian actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director who stars in 'The Invite'.

Edward Norton

An American actor, filmmaker, and activist who stars in 'The Invite'.

Penélope Cruz

A Spanish actress who stars in 'The Invite', wearing a 'beguilingly bad wig' according to the article.

A24

The film production and distribution company that acquired the rights to 'The Invite' after a bidding war.

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What they’re saying

“We feel a very strong connection with you guys.”

— Penélope Cruz's character

“They're fucking with us.”

— Seth Rogen's character

What’s next

The Invite is set to be released in theaters this July, giving audiences a chance to see Olivia Wilde's modern take on the classic couple-on-couple dinner-party drama.

The takeaway

The Invite is generating significant buzz and anticipation as a fresh spin on the 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' premise, exploring themes of modern relationships and San Francisco culture through the lens of a tense dinner party between two couples.