The Invite Almost Starred Amy Adams and Paul Rudd

By The Backlot

@backlotfriends

Two couples sit laughing in a warmly lit living room around a coffee table with wine and food, the scene tense with unspoken energy.

The Invite had a completely different cast once.

In 2021, the film was set up with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the duo behind Little Miss Sunshine. Amy Adams, Paul Rudd, and Tessa Thompson were attached. Then the project went quiet for two years.

In 2025, Olivia Wilde stepped in to direct and star. She rebuilt the cast from scratch. Seth Rogen plays the husband with the shaky marriage. Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton are the neighbors who crash the dinner party.

The film premiered at Sundance in January 2026 to a standing ovation. Wilde cried. It is an adaptation of a Spanish stage play by Catalan director Cesc Gay, distributed by A24.

People on Backlot have been giving it high marks this month. It is in theaters now.

Quick Facts

The Invite Almost Starred Amy Adams and Paul Rudd

DirectorOlivia Wilde

CastOlivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, Skip Howland

GenreDrama, Comedy, Romance

Release2026-06-25

Runtime107 min

Rated7.8/10

Instagram caption

The Invite started as an Amy Adams and Paul Rudd movie with the Little Miss Sunshine directors attached. Two years of quiet later, Olivia Wilde took over and it premiered at Sundance to a standing ovation. In theaters now. #TheInvite #Backlot

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The Invite was supposed to star Amy Adams, Paul Rudd, and Tessa Thompson with the Little Miss Sunshine directors. Olivia Wilde took over. In theaters now. #TheInvite #Backlot

The Invite had a completely different cast once.

The film premiered at Sundance in January 2026 to a standing ovation. Wilde cried. It is an adaptation of a Spanish stage play by Catalan director Cesc Gay, distributed by A24.

People on Backlot have been giving it high marks this month. It is in theaters now.