Olivia Wilde brought her new comedy "The Invite" to the Locarno Film Festival for its European premiere, describing the project as the highlight of her career. Speaking to the audience at Piazza Grande, home to one of the world's largest cinema screens, Wilde said she had fought to secure a theatrical release for the film against pressure to skip cinemas, a decision made possible by her financier's backing.

The comedy-drama stars Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton as two couples whose dinner party unravels after one relationship implodes. It is a remake of the Spanish film "Sentimental", which has also been adapted into Swiss-German, French, Italian and South Korean versions, and Wilde called it a tribute to filmmakers such as John Cassavetes, Mike Nichols, Woody Allen and Nora Ephron. Variety's Owen Gleiberman praised the film in his review, likening it to a blend of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and vintage Woody Allen, while Wilde noted that despite its darker themes, the film is fundamentally a comedy.