The Invite keeps its cast deliberately small. Most of the movie follows two married couples during a dinner that begins with irritation, curiosity and social awkwardness before exposing deeper questions about intimacy and honesty.
Olivia Wilde directs and stars alongside Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. The A24 comedy is an English-language remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs, and it opened in U.S. theaters in summer 2026 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.
Because the story depends almost entirely on conversation and shifting alliances, the chemistry between the four performers matters more than spectacle. Viewers who enjoy relationship-driven stories may also like our guide to the People We Meet on Vacation cast and our look at The Threesome.
Quick details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Director | Olivia Wilde |
| Writers | Rashida Jones and Will McCormack |
| U.S. release | June 26, 2026 |
| Runtime | 1 hour 47 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Distributor | A24 |
| Main cast | Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton |
Cast at a glance
| Actor | Character | Role in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Seth Rogen | Joe | A music teacher whose marriage has settled into resentment and routine |
| Olivia Wilde | Angela | Joe’s wife, who is frustrated by the emotional distance between them |
| Penelope Cruz | Pina | The confident upstairs neighbor who challenges the couple’s assumptions |
| Edward Norton | Hawk | Pina’s charismatic husband and Joe’s unpredictable counterpart |
Seth Rogen as Joe
Seth Rogen plays Joe, a music teacher who once imagined a more ambitious life. By the time the story begins, he and Angela communicate through familiar complaints and half-finished arguments.
Joe is irritated by the loud, apparently uninhibited couple living upstairs. That irritation is mixed with fascination, which becomes harder to deny once the neighbors enter his apartment. Rogen uses his usual conversational comic rhythm, but the character is less secure than many of his broad comedy roles.
Joe wants to believe he is reasonable and open-minded. The dinner repeatedly tests that self-image, especially when Hawk and Pina speak honestly about desire, compromise and the performance of a happy marriage.
Olivia Wilde as Angela
Olivia Wilde plays Angela while also directing the film. Angela is tired of feeling unheard by Joe and increasingly aware that their marriage has become defined by avoidance.
Her decision to invite the upstairs neighbors creates the movie’s central situation. What begins as an attempt to address the noise becomes an opportunity to observe a couple who appear more adventurous, direct and connected.
Wilde keeps Angela from becoming merely the unhappy wife in a relationship comedy. The character has her own contradictions, including a tendency to control the environment while longing for spontaneity. Readers interested in other complicated screen relationships can also visit our Drinking Buddies guide.
Penelope Cruz as Pina
Penelope Cruz plays Pina, the most openly confident member of the group. Pina speaks about sex and partnership without the embarrassment that shapes Joe and Angela’s conversations.
Her directness makes her seem liberating at first, but The Invite does not present her as a simple fantasy figure. Pina also has expectations, insecurities and boundaries. The evening becomes more interesting as the hosts realize that their guests’ relationship is not as effortless as it appears from downstairs.
Cruz brings warmth and danger to the role. Pina can make a provocative suggestion sound playful, then turn the same conversation into a serious challenge.
Edward Norton as Hawk
Edward Norton portrays Hawk, Pina’s husband. Hawk is charming, physically self-assured and willing to discuss subjects Joe would rather treat as jokes.
The character becomes Joe’s mirror and rival during the dinner. Joe envies Hawk’s confidence but also searches for evidence that it is an act. Norton plays that ambiguity effectively, allowing Hawk to appear generous in one moment and manipulative in the next.
Norton is known for Fight Club, Primal Fear, American History X, Birdman and Glass Onion. His presence gives the comedy a slightly dangerous edge because audiences know he can shift quickly from relaxed conversation to intensity.
Why are there only four main characters?
The limited ensemble is part of the design. The film is based on a story that works like a chamber play, using one apartment and one dinner to pressure the characters into saying things they normally avoid.
A larger cast would reduce the focus on the two marriages. By staying close to Joe, Angela, Pina and Hawk, the movie can show how each new disclosure changes the balance in the room.
Is The Invite a romance or a comedy?
The Invite combines relationship drama, comedy and farce. It is funny because the characters try to remain polite while the conversation becomes increasingly personal, but the movie also takes the damage inside Joe and Angela’s marriage seriously.
It is not a conventional romantic comedy with a simple pairing to root for. Its interest lies in whether honesty can repair a relationship or merely reveal that it has already changed.
Final thoughts on The Invite cast
The Invite succeeds or fails on the credibility of its quartet. Rogen and Wilde establish a marriage that feels worn down by years of minor disappointments, while Cruz and Norton bring the disruptive energy needed to challenge it.
The result is less about shocking behavior than about the stories couples tell themselves. The four actors make the dinner feel spontaneous even as the screenplay carefully shifts control from one character to another.
For another cast-centered romantic adaptation, see our Off Campus series review and A Family Affair synopsis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seth Rogen plays Joe, a music teacher in a strained marriage.
Olivia Wilde plays Angela and also directs the movie.
Penelope Cruz plays Pina and Edward Norton plays Hawk.
Yes. It is an English-language remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs.
The movie received a theatrical release through A24. Digital and streaming availability can vary by region.