A24 wins Olivia Wilde's 'The Invite' after 72-hour bidding war
What's the story
A24 has emerged victorious in the bidding war for Olivia Wilde's new film, The Invite, at the Sundance Film Festival. The deal, which reportedly fetched an eight-figure amount, involved a 72-hour-long competitive bidding process. The film is a romantic comedy starring Wilde and Seth Rogen as Joe and Angela respectively.
Bidding war
'The Invite' was a hot property among studios
The bidding for The Invite started at $10 million and went up from there. Initially, Netflix, Neon, Searchlight, and even Sony were in the race. Warner Bros's new contemporary film label also made a last-minute bid before A24 clinched the deal. The film is produced by Annapurna Pictures and Megan Ellison, who previously worked with Wilde on Booksmart.
Film details
'The Invite' features an ensemble cast and unique filming style
The Invite also stars Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz as the upstairs neighbors who come for dinner. Wilde shot the film in chronological order, treating it like a play. She told Deadline that the premiere at Sundance was "the best night of my life." The film is co-repped by UTA Independent Film Group and FilmNation. Wilde wanted a theatrical release for the film.