From left: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in 'The Invite.' The Invite/Courtesy of Sundance Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves an old-fashioned Sundance bidding war. Olivia Wilde's sex comedy The Invite has lit a fire under the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, with major indie distributors and minor studio divisions elbowing each other to make it this year's festival first big sale. A24, Neon and Universal division Focus Features are said to be the frontrunners for the feature, although Netflix is making a hard move with beaucoup bucks. 20th/Disney division Searchlight Pictures is also said to be in the mix. Related Stories General News Edward Norton, Olivia Wilde and More Speak Out Against ICE at Sundance: "An Illegal Army Is Being Mounted Against U.S. Citizens" Movies 'The Invite' Review: Starring Alongside MVP Seth Rogen, Director Olivia Wilde Steers a Tart Marital Comedy Into Occasionally Choppy Darker Waters The dealmaking has already gone through Sunday night and began almost as soon as the movie received a standing ovation after its Saturday night premiere at the Eccles Theatre and then enjoyed rave reviews. "It's going hard," said one source. "A24 wants to win." It's unclear if the filmmakers are focused on a theatrical release but observers on the ground in Park City noted the movie played well in a crowd. The energy on the Invite deal is so intense that its siphoning off attention on other sales titles, said one source. Wilde reteamed with Megan Ellison, who produced her critically lauded 2019 feature directorial debut Booksmart, to tackle a remake of the Spanish language movie Sentimental. The script was written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and the cast includes Seth Rogen, Ed Norton and Penélope Cruz, as well as Wilde. The story centers on a couple (Wilde and Rogen) whose relationship is on the brink of collapse and have an ill-timed dinner party with their enigmatic neighbors (Norton and Cruz), who turn out to be polyamorous. Wilde shot the movie in Los Angeles over a 23-day period, in sequence and with a lot of rehearsal time. It is her first time behind the camera since Don't Worry Darling, her high-profile studio movie released by New Line in 2022. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Morena Baccarin 'The Wrecking Crew' Review: Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa Get the Job Done in Fun, Forgettable Action-Comedy Trifle Twinless Dylan O'Brien Doesn't Care If You Like Him Oscars 2026 Amelia Dimoldenberg Set for Third Stint as Oscars' Social Media Ambassador and Red Carpet Correspondent Heat Vision Kodi Smit-McPhee, Sam Rechner, Aden Young Join Alan Ritchson in Amazon MGM's Navy SEAL Movie (Exclusive) Sam Raimi 'Send Help' Review: Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien Face Off in Sam Raimi's Rivetingly Bonkers Survival Thriller International Film Festival Rotterdam 'Hungry' Director on Her Sci-Fi Doc About a World Without Humans That Is "a Call to Action" Morena Baccarin 'The Wrecking Crew' Review: Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa Get the Job Done in Fun, Forgettable Action-Comedy Trifle Twinless Dylan O'Brien Doesn't Care If You Like Him Oscars 2026 Amelia Dimoldenberg Set for Third Stint as Oscars' Social Media Ambassador and Red Carpet Correspondent Heat Vision Kodi Smit-McPhee, Sam Rechner, Aden Young Join Alan Ritchson in Amazon MGM's Navy SEAL Movie (Exclusive) Sam Raimi 'Send Help' Review: Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien Face Off in Sam Raimi's Rivetingly Bonkers Survival Thriller International Film Festival Rotterdam 'Hungry' Director on Her Sci-Fi Doc About a World Without Humans That Is "a Call to Action"