Olivia Wilde's Two-Film Sundance Comeback — SkimNews
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- Olivia Wilde premiered two projects at Sundance in January 2026: she directed 'The Invite,' a remake of 2020's 'The People Upstairs' co-starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, and starred in cult director Gregg Araki's 'I Want Your Sex' opposite Cooper Hoffman
- A24 acquired 'The Invite' for $12 million after a bidding war following its Sundance standing ovation; Magnolia picked up 'I Want Your Sex' shortly after
- Wilde insisted on a theatrical release as part of her A24 deal, and both films hit theaters in July, with 'The Invite' becoming a sleeper hit thanks to its frank comedy about middle-age malaise and modern relationships
- The comeback follows years of public fallout — a messy divorce, intense scrutiny of her relationship with Harry Styles, and rumored behind-the-scenes turmoil on 'Don't Worry Darling' — which Wilde says she addressed by stepping away to 'let the dust settle,' borrowing a farming metaphor about letting soil rejuvenate
- The role of Angela in 'The Invite' was originally meant for another actor, but Rogen and Norton convinced Wilde to take the part herself; she calls the experience of acting while directing 'physically liberating' and a 'fuck you to every time I felt I'd been forced to be an object of desire'
- Wilde is already prepping her next project — a comedy to be shot in London — signaling what she describes as a 'second or maybe third act' in her filmmaking career
Why it matters: A24's $12 million Sundance acquisition and the subsequent theatrical sleeper-hit performance of 'The Invite' mark one of the festival's standout commercial deals of 2026, and Wilde's dual-role directing/starring turn re-establishes her as a filmmaker with theatrical pull after years of tabloid-fueled industry skepticism. For A24, the payoff validates a willingness to back a star-driven comedy of manners at premium prices.
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