Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” is already shaping up to be one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, a sexy adult dramedy that’s received rave reviews since its Sundance premiere. But Wilde admitted a directing mantra from Quentin Tarantino kept the film from having a different look.
On a Monday appearance on “Smartless,” Wilde relayed the directing advice previously shared by the “Pulp Fiction” and “Inglourious Basterds” filmmaker that she chose to follow. There, she told hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes about how Tarantino’s words prevented her from shooting the film with a multi-camera setup.
“Did you have multiple cameras?” Bateman asked.
“We had one camera,” Wilde said. “The last week, we brought in a second camera cause … there were some scenes that … benefited from two cameras. But I didn’t want to. I felt like I had been inspired by, like, Tarantino saying like, ‘Don’t be a hack. Have one camera, pick your perspective. Anytime you have two cameras, one shot is suffering. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’”
The urge to shoot “The Invite” with multiple cameras makes sense. Wilde’s third directorial feature, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, takes place nearly entirely inside a single apartment during a fraught dinner party between two couples, played by herself, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
“You’ve got these four people talking all the time and so you’ve got to do it four times, at least, so that everyone gets a camera pointed at them,” Bateman said.
“Yes, we did a lot of shared frame,” Wilde replied. “That’s why it was theatrical in that way … which is why we had the best focus puller in the world who could somehow predict when someone was going to improvise a joke.” You can watch the full clip below.
“The Invite” marks Wilde’s third feature behind the camera following her critical hit “Booksmart” and her less successful follow-up “Don’t Worry Darling.” The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2026 to much buzz, sparking an all-night bidding war between various companies. A24 eventually won out, acquiring the rights in an eight-figure deal.
The film, sure to be in the awards conversation this fall, has drawn in a worldwide total of nearly $10 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It released in limited theaters on June 26 before going wide on July 10.
