An intimate look at Olivia Wilde’s wickedly funny new film inside one of the Hollywood Hills’ most storied homes
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/31/26 – There are Hollywood screenings, and then there are Hollywood screenings.
High above Los Angeles, beneath the iconic Hollywood Sign, our reporter was invited inside the legendary Castillo del Lago for an intimate viewing of Olivia Wilde’s new comedy, The Invite.
And the setting could hardly have been more Hollywood.
Built in 1926 and designed by architect John DeLario, Castillo del Lago is one of the Hollywood Hills’ most recognizable historic estates. The Spanish-style residence dates back to the early days of Hollywoodland, the real-estate development that gave birth to the original “HOLLYWOODLAND” sign.
The estate also comes with some deliciously colorful Hollywood lore. Mobster Bugsy Siegel reportedly used the property during the 1930s as a gambling den, and decades later Madonna purchased the estate in 1993 for approximately $5 million.
With its dramatic architecture, wine cellar, elevator, fountains, rose gardens, terraces and pool, Castillo del Lago remains a spectacular reminder of Hollywood’s glamorous, and occasionally notorious, past.
On this particular afternoon, however, the attraction was the movies.
After climbing the grand staircase to the entrance, I joined invited guests for a private viewing of The Invite, starring Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
Directed by Wilde, the film follows married couple Joe and Angela, played by Rogen and Wilde, whose relationship is already on shaky ground when an evening with their enigmatic upstairs neighbors, played by Cruz and Norton, takes a decidedly unexpected turn.
What follows is funny, provocative, uncomfortable and delightfully unpredictable.
Before the screening, guests enjoyed wine, food and conversation, and I had the pleasure of meeting some of the film’s stars before everyone made their way into the estate’s private theater.
And then came the movie.
The Invite is exceptional.
The chemistry among Rogen, Wilde, Cruz and Norton is terrific, with the film finding humor in relationships, attraction, frustration and those conversations between couples that can suddenly go somewhere nobody expected.
It is smart, adult comedy with an edge, and, most importantly, it is genuinely funny.
Wilde, who also stars in the film, directs from a screenplay by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. A24 describes the story simply enough: Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice when they invite their mysterious upstairs neighbors over for dinner, sending the night spiraling into unexpected territory.
That description barely scratches the surface.
Seeing the film inside one of Hollywood’s most storied private residences somehow made the experience even more special: four major stars on screen, Hollywood history surrounding us, a glass of wine in hand and a room full of people laughing together.
Sometimes Hollywood still knows exactly how to put on a show.
Highly recommended.
The Invite is directed by Olivia Wilde and stars Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
By Jason Thompson & Valerie Milano, The Hollywood Times
