A dinner party propels a struggling married couple into unexpected territory in Director Olivia Wilde’s marital comedy, The Invite.

In her English language remake of Cesc Gay’s Spanish film The People Upstairs, Wilde’s film tells the story of Joe and Angela, a couple whose marriage is on thin ice. But when they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the evening spirals into an incredibly awkward and hilariously revealing affair.

On June 13, after the DGA membership screening in New York, Wilde discussed the making of The Invite during a Q&A moderated by Director Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain). Wilde is also scheduled to discuss the film following the Los Angeles DGA screening on June 20.

During the New York conversation, Wilde spoke about her preproduction process.

“We shot listed to a certain extent, but I knew there was going to be a quite a bit of improvisation. I knew I wanted this intentional, designed aesthetic, which was very much inspired by Mike Nichols, also Woody Allen. We really wanted to be intentional about it but also allow for a lot of freedom. I didn't want to shot list to a point where I was going to have to over-direct the actors to make certain choices.”

Wilde’s other directorial credits include the feature films Don’t Worry Darling and Booksmart; as well as music videos for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and the short film Free Hugs. Wilde has been a DGA member since 2018.