It’s been almost three years since Olivia Wilde’s viral and buzz-worthy film, Don’t Worry Darling (and the drama attached to it), premiered, and now, she’s gearing up for her next big-hitting directorial entry. The Invite seemingly meets at the intersection of adult comedy, offbeat relationship material with vulnerable and intimate details sewn throughout. And if that wasn’t enough, the ensemble cast was revealed to be filled with plenty of recognizable names leading the pack.
The future project, which is one of several that Wilde is currently invested in, is based on Cesc Gay’s Spanish film Sentimental, and was adapted for U.S. audiences by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, per Variety. As the wheels start rolling for the coming title, she’ll pop up in the upcoming 2025 movie I Want Your Sex from Gregg Araki, and has already played a version of herself in director mode on Seth Rogen’s The Studio (which hit the 2025 TV schedule in March). But the newest addition sounds like something that could rival her 2022 flick.
Olivia Wilde’s Next Movie Is About ‘Unexplored Sexuality’
With Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling under her belt, Wilde continues to push what genres she opts for, while majorly centering female stories. The filmmaker and actress have also made her opinions abundantly clear about her feelings about female directors in Hollywood–she’s not one to play it safe. And, by the sounds of this movie, she’s staying on brand with the promise of ‘unexplored sexuality.’
The following official, but general synopsis of the coming adaptation of the Cesc Gay directed title describes a normal neighborly event taking an unexpected, explicit turn:
A couple [who] invites the neighbors over, igniting an evening full of unexpected twists and turns, revealing deeply repressed emotions and unexplored sexuality.
While the teaser is overall vague, production has begun in Los Angeles with FilmNation Entertainment producing. (The studio most recently backed Sean Baker’s Anora and the papal thriller Conclave.) But what has me most jazzed about Wilde’s next endeavor is who she landed to round out the cast.
She’s Cast Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz And More To Lead Her Project
The main quartet, including the movie’s director, to fill out the sexually driven The Invite, is as follows:
- Olivia Wilde
- Seth Rogen
- Penélope Cruz
- Edward Norton
What a knockout cast! All are dynamic enough performers to easily blur a couple of lines, so I’m pleased to say the least! I’m going to assume, from the brief overview and these leads, it seems like Wilde and Rogen may be one couple, with Cruz and Norton playing the other, but that could be backwards.
Even though it’s wildly reflective of the star power she had for her sophomore project, just the thought of this foursome emits some good vibes. (Though not necessarily the kind provoked by Rogen’s more notorious habit.)
At the time of this posting, there’s no public projected premiere date, but each of these celebs has plenty going on as they begin filming. As mentioned, Wilde showed up as one of The Studio‘s impressive cameos–Seth Rogen’s streaming satire (available with an Apple TV subscription). Meanwhile, Norton’s been taking it easy since his work in his Oscar-nominated role for A Complete Unknown. And after Cruz’s appearance in Ferrari, she shifted gears into The Bride! I’m excited to see this unlikely foursome team up to take on this quirky comedy.
Hopefully we’ll hear even more casting updates for this Wilde movie soon. I’d say don’t worry, darling, but it’s probably too early for pet names.