Will McCormack ’96 Returns to Trinity for Screening and Discussion of His Latest Film, The Invite

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Will McCormack ’96 returned to Trinity College recently for a screening of his latest film, the 2026 comedy-drama The Invite, and a conversation in which he discussed his writing process and the magic of movies.

The screening was held on October 17 at Cinestudio—the not-for-profit independent movie theater on Trinity’s campus—followed by a Q&A with John Michael Mason ’12, M’14, founder of the Trinity Film Festival. During his weekend visit, McCormack also met with Trinity film studies students.

“I have obstacles and problems in my life, and I try to make stories about them, to help to try to figure them out,” said McCormack, who co-wrote The Invite with actress and filmmaker Rashida Jones, his longtime friend and frequent writing partner. “And if I’m honest about them, hopefully they’ll be helpful to other people.”

Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, The Invite focuses on a dinner party in which two couples explore conflicts and connections. It premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it was the subject of a bidding war between several studios, with A24 ultimately releasing it in June 2026.

The script, McCormack said, is an English-language adaptation of the 2020 Spanish film Sentimental. “Our job was to make it ours and to bring ourselves to it,” he said. Jones and McCormack, who both have acting experience, worked on this script by acting each scene out loud as the characters. “And if it feels false or fake, we’re like, ‘Well, that didn’t quite feel right. Let’s try something else,’” McCormack said.

A week of rehearsals lent the film the feeling of a play, McCormack said, with the writers, director, and cast contributing to rewrites throughout the process. “Seth Rogen is one of the best improvisational actors of all time, so you want to give the actors room for that, but you also want to make sure the movie is headed in the right direction. It’s a balance, for sure,” he said.

The writer had high praise for Wilde as a both a director and performer. “She brought this infectious energy… To give that performance is one thing, but to give that performance and direct herself—while directing Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton—is truly remarkable,” he said. “She’s fearless and she’s not afraid to take the road not traveled.”

The alumnus said that it’s always gratifying to work on a successful film that people enjoy. “The movie has done very well and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Any time people connect with the movie, I’m happy for the movie and I’m happy that more movies will be made, especially comedies,” McCormack said. “Movies are magic. You know, people come together and put something together in a time and a place, at a moment in their life that will never happen again in the same way.” Jones and McCormack are next writing the script of an animated Tom and Jerry movie for Skydance.

McCormack, who graduated from Trinity with a bachelor’s degree in English, is the recipient of a 2021 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for If Anything Happens I Love You (2020), which he co-wrote and co-directed. McCormack came to Trinity in the footsteps of his sisters: Bridget Mary McCormack ’88, H’13, former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and actress Mary Catherine McCormack ’91.

Will McCormack previously spoke to the Trinity community with a Commencement Address to the Class of 2020. During his speech, McCormack offered lessons from his life about the importance of storytelling, finding one’s voice, and embracing surprise. He remembered feeling pure joy and connection after his first performance on stage at Trinity. “In a moment, I knew, at age 19, that I would devote my life to storytelling. I didn’t know how, but I knew why. I believed stories mattered,” he said. “Trinity College nurtured and championed this passion for story. I did every single play I could. I worked at Cinestudio and saw every single film.”

Ever since then, McCormack has studied how stories work and tried to understand how to tell the ones that feel the most genuine. “But the best moments of your story are when you don’t know what will happen next. The part you didn’t plan. The moment you find yourself lost,” he told the graduates. “Have the courage to step into that moment. That’s the moment of the story, and life, when we get to be brave and human.”