Naman Shrestha
With Olivia Wilde in the director’s chair, ‘The Invite’ is a romantic comedy movie adapted from the 2020 Spanish movie ‘The People Upstairs’ or ‘Sentimental’ by Cesc Gay. The narrative centers on a married couple — Joe and Angela — who reside in San Francisco. As they seem to disagree on most things, their marriage is on the brink of falling apart. To spark new life into their bond, Angela invites their interesting upstairs neighbors, Hawk and Pina, for a dinner party. On the one hand, Joe is bothered by the noise that the upstairs neighbors make.
On the other hand, Angela is intrigued by them and interested in getting to know them. During the evening of their party, the personalities of the two couples collide. As a result, the night takes some unexpected twists and turns, unraveling deep-seated insecurities and unexplored sexuality. The hilarious tale of the two couples unfolds for the most part within the four walls of Joe and Angela’s home. Their inviting, humble abode makes Hawk and Pina feel at home and prompts several strange conversations.
The Invite Filming Locations
‘The Invite’ was filmed in its entirety in California, especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As per reports, principal photography got underway in April 2025 and concluded after about 23 shooting days in May of the same year. Interestingly, it was shot in chronological order with a lot of rehearsal time. During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the director Olivia Wilde stated, “We were obsessed with making it feel authentic.” The cast and crew members shot for about 12 hours each day as they worked their way through the story.
San Francisco, California
The production team chose San Francisco in Northern California to tape a significant portion of ‘The Invite.’ Nestled on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, the city proved ideal for painting the canvas of the tense, funny, dark, and emotionally exhausting unraveling of events in the lives of Joe and Angela when they invite their neighbors to a dinner party. The cast and crew moved to many locations across the city as they brought the film to life. To lens the scenes set in the subway, headed to Glen Park station, an underground Bay Area Rapid Transit station located at 2901 Diamond Street in the Glen Park neighborhood.
Some scenes featuring Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde were captured in a BART train heading from Glen Park station to Daly City station as well as between Glen Park station and Balboa Park Station. Aiming to offer an authentic public transport setting, the team decided to film during rush hour with the cast blending in with the regular commuters while they filmed in the train, at the station, and on the escalator. In May 2025, the team was spotted shooting in the auditorium of A.P. Giannini Middle School, situated at 3151 Ortega Street in the Outer Sunset district. The students were quite excited about the filming, and school authorities provided full cooperation, with the Assistant Principal Heidi Smoot quipping: “It was a crazy day. I’m exhausted. Everybody wanted to catch a glimpse and get a selfie.”
In addition, Make-Out Room, the iconic nightclub at 3225 22nd Street in the Mission District, also hosted the production of the razor-sharp dark comedy. In order to prevent outside interference and public visibility, the crew covered the windows and entrance of the establishment while they recorded interior sequences. Furthermore, Molinari Delicatessen (or Molinari’s) at 373 Columbus Avenue also served as one of the filming sites. Dubbed San Francisco’s oldest Italian deli, the legendary eatery has been satiating the appetite of people with authentic Italian food since 1896. The team also made their way to the Castro District Farmers’ Market at 270 Noe Street to shoot a few scenes. According to reports, parts of Vallejo Street, Columbus Avenue, and Stockton Street were restricted to the locals for a few hours while shooting was carried out in the area.
Los Angeles, California
The team of ‘The Invite’ visited the city of Los Angeles in Southern California to lens a minor portion of the movie. In particular, they settled on Sunset Las Palmas Studios at 1040 North Las Palmas Avenue in the Hollywood neighborhood. It is likely that scenes that required a controlled environment, set reconstruction, or special equipment were taped on the soundstages within the complex, which is known for offering first-rate services for the production of movies and television shows across genres and scales.
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