Olivia Wilde Says 'The Invite' Melted Her Cynicism as 8,000 Gather for Locarno Screening
Updated
Updated · Variety · Aug 8
Olivia Wilde Says 'The Invite' Melted Her Cynicism as 8,000 Gather for Locarno Screening
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Aug 8
Summary
Olivia Wilde said at Locarno that “The Invite” made her “so much more romantic” and optimistic, after audience reactions convinced her the film was less about an ending than a relationship beginning again.
Under-35 viewers have become the film’s biggest U.S. audience, Wilde said, surprising her with questions rooted in hope rather than regret and reinforcing her belief in young viewers’ appetite for adult storytelling.
8,000 people were set to watch the film at Locarno, a scale Wilde cited while defending the team’s push for a theatrical release after Sundance showed the comedy’s “chemical reaction” with a crowd.
Wilde, 35 when she directed her first feature, called directing the most thrilling job she could have and said acting training helps her guide performers in their own “language.”
The Invite is Wilde’s third feature after “Booksmart” and “Don’t Worry Darling,” and she said the cast persuaded her to also play Angela alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.