Black comedy about Olivia Wilde’s new relationship Invitation was shaped by unusually candid rehearsals, during which the director and her actors drew on deeply personal experiences of love, marriage and heartbreak, according to sources FINE! Discussions surrounding Wilde’s split from Jason Sudeikis became part of the creative process as the ensemble searched for emotional authenticity.
Wilde, 42, stars in and stars alongside Seth Rogen, 44, in the film Invitationa comedy about a married couple forced to confront the cracks in their relationship after they invite their sexually adventurous neighbors, played by Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton, over for dinner.
Olivia Wilde stars in The Invitation.MEGA
Before filming began, the main cast gathered for extensive discussions about relationships, loyalty and intimacy, attempting to ground the film’s emotional conflicts in real-life events.
According to sources, Wilde was extremely open about the issues that influenced her approach to the story, and conversations became increasingly personal as rehearsals progressed.
A source close to the production said: “Rehearsals quickly became less about reading lines and more about exploring what a relationship looks like behind closed doors. Olivia wasn’t afraid to draw on difficult experiences and everyone responded with the same honesty. She talked a lot about her break-up with Jason and in the process revealed many secrets about their split. This created a level of trust that was maintained throughout the production.”
Olivia Wilde has reportedly spoken candidly about the problems of her romance. MEGA
Describing the rehearsal process, Rogen said, “We all just sat in a room and kind of read the script, but mostly talked about what we thought made a good marriage and maybe a bad marriage, and what created healthy sexual dynamics and unhealthy (sexual dynamics).”
He continued: “With a lot of the actors, things got very personal very quickly because that’s what the movie is about. I think in order for it to feel as real as possible and reflective of the filmmakers and the lives of the crew, we all really became very honest with each other, and I think that made the movie a lot better, and a lot of that came into the movie in different ways.”
Another source familiar with the production said Wilde’s openness encouraged the rest of the cast to share their own experiences.
The insider added: “No one was asked to relive painful moments for the sake of drama, but everyone brought something personal to the table. “Olivia helped create an environment where these conversations felt natural, and that honesty ultimately impacted the performances.”
Wilde said she hopes audiences will see elements of their relationships in the film rather than just seeing it as a comedy.
She added: “Comedy-based conversations are really about people recognizing themselves and laughing even at difficult things, and there’s a sense of catharsis and relief of, ‘Oh, life is hard and we’re all doing the best we can.’ The goal of the film is to make you feel that way and have a good time.”
She added: “And that energy really permeated the whole experience and even the interactions with the press. I just feel more relaxed and confident than ever.”
Seth Rogen described the rehearsal process for The Invitation.MEGA
Contemplating her future behind the camera, Wilde said making audiences laugh has become an increasingly important goal.
She said: “I don’t want to jinx it, but I really hope I can put more comedies out into the world. I think if my goal in this business was to bring funny people together, get silly and let everyone laugh, then I would have done something valuable.”
Sudeikis and Wilde, who were engaged for seven years, officially ended their nearly decade-long relationship in November 2020.
Wilde later revealed that their romantic breakdown had a lot to do with their growing apart, pointing to a tense car ride in March 2020 when they realized they had become strangers to each other.
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis ended their relationship in 2020.MEGA
Their split subsequently escalated into a highly publicized and contentious legal battle over the custody of their two children.
Things reached a dramatic and controversial peak in 2022 when Sudeikis’ legal team served Wilde with custody papers on stage while she was performing at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
Complicating the dynamic further, Wilde began a highly publicized relationship with pop star Harry Styles, whom she co-starred in the film. Don’t worry darling — sparking debate and speculation in the tabloids over when she and Sudeikis actually broke up.
The situation became even more sensational due to statements by their former partner, which Wilde and Sudeikis jointly and publicly denied.
Despite their turbulent split, they were able to formally resolve their child custody dispute by the end of 2023, and have since become successful and cooperative with their children.