'The Invite' Star Olivia Wilde Could Make Oscar History as First Woman to Direct Herself to an Acting Nod

‘The Invite’ began its life as a small, talky ensemble comedy, the sort of film that rarely becomes a major awards story. Then it reached the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, and Olivia Wilde’s Oscar outlook started to change.

A24 picked up the movie after its premiere, and a June report says the studio paid $12 million for worldwide rights following a standing ovation at the festival. It opened in limited release on June 26 and expanded on July 10.

The numbers back up the buzz. ‘The Invite‘ has earned $57.4 million worldwide, with $26 million domestically and $31.4 million internationally, against a $15 million budget. It holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82 on Metacritic.

Wilde directed the film from a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, adapted from Cesc Gay’s 2020 Spanish film ‘The People Upstairs’. The cast includes Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton alongside Wilde. The film runs 107 minutes, which Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter felt was slightly longer than the material needed, though he still called it an immensely pleasurable watch.

Here is the part that has awards watchers talking. According to a piece from Awards Watch, Wilde could become the first woman to direct herself to an Academy Award nomination for acting.

The analysis points out that men have directed themselves to acting nominations 20 times, with examples including Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper. No woman has done it. Awards Watch also notes that only 35 of the 489 performances nominated for Best Actress were directed by women.

Wilde plays Angela, a stay-at-home wife whose marriage to Rogen’s Joe is tested when the upstairs neighbors, played by Cruz and Norton, invite the couple to explore group intimacy. Awards Watch describes the performance as quietly confident, with expert comedic work that settles into something warm and melancholic.

The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney called the film smart, sophisticated and incisively acted. He singled out her character’s deep anxiety about seeming uncool and her skill at conveying frustration through irritated double-takes at her husband’s barbs.

The case for the nomination does not rest on acting alone. ‘The Invite’ was shot on 35mm film over 23 days in chronological order in San Francisco, and Wilde reportedly funded the film so it could be shot on real film stock rather than digital.

Rooney also said the movie shows Wilde’s growth as a director and should silence the doubters. Critics have also pointed to her command of the single-location setting, from dynamic camera angles to strategic use of mirrors. One analysis noted that she created an atmosphere in which Norton could improvise a significant monologue, a sign of directorial confidence. Wilde has dedicated the film to Diane Keaton and has made theatrical distribution a priority.

First trailer for Olivia Wilde’s ‘THE INVITE’, starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde. The film follows a couple on the verge of breaking up when their neighbors show up for dinner & make everything worse. In theaters in July. https://t.co/V9niH6bAGB
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 7, 2026

The film’s strength is its cast, and the awards conversation is not limited to Wilde. Critics have praised Rogen for what many call his finest dramatic work, with some suggesting a first Oscar nomination could be within reach. Norton’s turn has drawn comparisons to ‘Birdman’, while Cruz has won widespread acclaim as the therapist Pina.

Cruz has already collected a Best Supporting Actress prize and a Best Screenplay win at the Astra Midseason Movie Awards, and the film has been nominated for a Humanitas Prize.

Awards seasons are decided as much by campaigns as by quality, and the outlook for ‘The Invite’ depends on A24’s strategy. Industry observers see strong prospects across Best Picture, adapted screenplay, acting and technical categories.

Wilde is also in the awards conversation for other projects, with ‘I Want Your Sex’ and ‘Behemoth!’ both mentioned alongside ‘The Invite’ in coverage of her Oscar year. For now, though, her best shot at history rests on the film that turned a modest ensemble comedy into a festival favorite.