Olivia Wilde, director of critically acclaimed film Booksmart, answered questions surrounding her recent film The Invite at the 2026 San Francisco International Film Festival on April 24 at the Castro Theatre, discussing what she learned from making the film, how she approached an English language remake and the bond that was formed between the actors.
The Invite was directed and starred Olivia Wilde, and was written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. It is an American remake of the Spanish film Sentimental, which has also been adapted in Italy, Switzerland, France, and South Korea.
“I think I learned that the best art should feel like a confession,” Wilde said when asked what she’d learned. “There was a real sense of catharsis in this film. It just felt like this safe structure in which to just confess and explore, and I think that I learned that it’s worth it.”
Wilde was then asked to expand on how she initially came across the project and what she wanted to achieve from it.
“Rashida Jones and Will McCormick had written a screenplay that really just intrigued me for so many reasons and really made me laugh,” Wilde said. “This cast brought so much to it, we had this experimental process where the six of us workshopped the script for two weeks, and then shot in order and continued to workshop as we filmed. That experiment was the most fun I’ve ever had and so fruitful.”
Wilde then expanded more on the international aspects of the film’s origins.
“The beautiful thing about the movie is it’s such a simple story that resonates in so many different cultures,” Wilde said. “To be able to be the director of the English-speaking version of a story that resonates so globally was a real honor. It’s such a thrill now that people are seeing it.”
“It really reminds you that the more specific a movie is, the more widely people resonate with it,” Wilde said. “I remember really discovering that in Booksmart. I thought I was telling very specific stories from high school, and so many people were like, ‘oh, that’s my drama!’”
Wilde then recounted her fond memories with the cast.
“This cast reminds me of the Artemis II mission, we were like a little crew orbiting the moon together, feeling so connected,” Wilde said. “It was like wearing a harness that wouldn’t let anyone fly away.”
