The Invite, the much-acclaimed marriage comedy starring Penélope Cruz, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde in the lead which released in June, had its Indian OTT premiere on Zee5 on Friday. Recently, the lead cast of the film partook in a candid conversation about their film and contemporary relationships. During the same, Olivia, who also directed the film, spoke about how she had always hoped for an opportunity like this. 

Speaking with Penelope and Seth, Olivia said, “This was the true collaborative experience I'd always hoped Hollywood would provide. Meanwhile, Penelope Cruz praises the actor-filmmaker for being confident in her vision without shutting out others’ ideas, also recalling how Olivia Wilde listened to the cast and welcomed their opinions, making the collaboration a memorable experience.

The trio also recalled their uncomfortable dating memories, which led Penelope to recall when she was once caught between couples whose arguments made dinner uncomfortable. Reflecting on such situations, she says, “You're in the middle of a double date, just being like, please let these people get divorced.”

Among other subjects, the trio also shared their favourite works of art about dysfunctional marriages. While Penelope Cruz names Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as her favourite film and play on the subject, and Rogen mentioned Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me, Olivia Wilde shared a surprising pick —  Federico Fellini’s 8½ (1963), which she described as ‘a film about many things, including a dysfunctional marriage.’

The Invite is now streaming on Zee5. Reportedly made on an overall budget of $15 million, the film grossed nearly $52 million, according to boxofficemojo.