A24 Sets Summer Release for Olivia Wilde’s Sundance Breakout ‘The Invite’
'The Invite' - Courtesy Of the Sundance Institute
After igniting a bidding war in Park City, A24 positions Olivia Wilde’s buzzy relationship comedy as a major summer indie play.
A24 is making an early summer statement. The studio has officially dated Olivia Wilde’s Sundance acquisition ‘The Invite’ for a limited theatrical release on June 26, signaling strong confidence in one of the festival’s most talked-about premieres.
The film, which Wilde both directs and stars in, emerged as one of the buzziest titles out of Park City earlier this year, reportedly sparking an aggressive multi-studio bidding war. Ultimately, A24 secured North American rights in a deal said to exceed $10 million, beating out interest from Focus Features, Sony, and Warner Bros.’ newer genre-focused label. For a relationship-driven comedy in today’s marketplace, that level of competition speaks volumes about the film’s perceived upside.
Positioning the film in the pre–July 4 corridor is a calculated move. Late June has increasingly become fertile ground for counterprogramming — particularly for adult-skewing comedies that can thrive on word of mouth. If ‘The Invite’ connects with audiences the way it did with its Sundance crowd, A24 could be looking at another sleeper hit in the vein of last summer’s ‘Materialists,’ which quietly legged out to nearly $108 million worldwide.
At its core, ‘The Invite’ is a high-wire relationship comedy built on escalating discomfort and emotional volatility. The story follows two couples whose seemingly routine dinner gathering spirals into chaos. Wilde and Seth Rogen play Joe and Angela, a couple already teetering on the edge. When their upstairs neighbors — portrayed by Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz — arrive for the evening, tensions begin to fracture, secrets surface, and the night rapidly unravels.
The setup may sound deceptively contained, but early reactions out of Sundance suggest Wilde leans heavily into tonal shifts, balancing sharp comedic beats with increasingly uncomfortable emotional stakes. That balance — comedy that flirts with real relationship anxiety — has become something of a sweet spot for contemporary adult audiences, particularly when executed with precision.
Wilde’s involvement behind and in front of the camera is also a key selling point. While her sophomore directorial effort ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ divided critics, her debut ‘Booksmart’ remains widely respected for its confident voice and sharp comedic rhythm. Notably, ‘The Invite’ reunites Wilde with producer Megan Ellison and Annapurna, the same creative partnership behind ‘Booksmart,’ suggesting a potential return to the filmmaker’s stronger tonal instincts.
The supporting cast further elevates the film’s profile. Seth Rogen continues his steady evolution into more nuanced comedic territory, while Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz bring a level of prestige that signals A24 is positioning this as more than just a conventional date-night comedy. Early festival chatter consistently pointed to the ensemble chemistry as one of the film’s strongest assets.
The project is adapted by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones from Cesc Gay’s Spanish film ‘The People Upstairs,’ part of the ongoing trend of English-language remakes of tightly constructed European relationship dramas. In the right hands, these adaptations can thrive commercially — particularly when paired with recognizable talent and a studio like A24 that understands how to market sophisticated adult fare.
Critically, the film is already entering release with momentum. Coming out of Sundance, ‘The Invite’ posted a strong 91 percent fresh rating from early reviews, suggesting that despite Wilde’s uneven recent track record, the film is landing with critics. That number will be closely watched as the theatrical rollout approaches, especially given how important Rotten Tomatoes perception remains for adult-skewing comedies.
The June 26 corridor will not be without competition. Warner Bros. and DC Studios are planning a wide launch for ‘Supergirl,’ while Paramount is also expected to release a new ‘Jackass’ installment in the same frame. However, neither of those titles directly targets the upscale adult audience A24 is chasing. In fact, the counterprogramming strategy may work in the studio’s favor, offering moviegoers a tonal alternative amid the louder tentpoles.
For A24, the release represents another test of its evolving theatrical strategy. The studio has increasingly demonstrated an ability to platform adult-driven films that might once have struggled in the modern box office environment. Success here would further reinforce A24’s positioning as the premier distributor for sophisticated, star-driven indie fare that still has commercial teeth.
POPULAR ON THE CINEMA GROUP
The bigger question is whether Wilde’s film can break beyond the arthouse crowd and capture broader date-night audiences. The ingredients are certainly there: recognizable stars, a high-concept relationship hook, strong early reviews, and strategic summer positioning. But as the post-pandemic theatrical landscape has repeatedly shown, adult comedies must generate real word-of-mouth heat to achieve meaningful scale.
Still, the early signs are encouraging. The Sundance reaction was reportedly strong, the cast is commercially viable, and A24’s marketing apparatus has become increasingly sharp when it comes to selling tone-driven adult films.
If everything clicks, ‘The Invite’ could become one of the summer’s more interesting breakout stories — the kind of smart, mid-budget adult comedy that the theatrical ecosystem has been steadily missing.
A24 will find out soon enough when the film begins its limited rollout on June 26.
