‘You’re Cordially Invited’: Nicholas Stoller Talks Will Ferrell & Reese Witherspoon’s Chaos Chemistry, & Diddy & Russell Brand Affecting His Past Films [The Discourse Podcast]

On this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down with Nicholas Stoller, the filmmaker behind “You’re Cordially Invited,” a star-packed wedding comedy hitting Prime Video on January 30. Stoller, the mind behind “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Neighbors,” returns with another laugh-out-loud project, this time revolving around two weddings that are double-booked at the same venue. Will Ferrell steps in as the devoted (and increasingly unhinged) father of one bride, while Reese Witherspoon plays the protective, take-no-prisoners sister of the other. As expected, wedding warfare and chaos ensues. Rounding out the ensemble are Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Rory Scovel, and Leanne Morgan.

With wedding comedies being a well-worn path sub-genre in films —“The Wedding Singer,” “Bridesmaids,” “Wedding Crashers”—Nick Stoller had no intention of simply rehashing old formulas. In fact, he didn’t even think of it as a “wedding movie” at first. “I just thought [Will and Reese] would have great chemistry together,” Stoller explained. “I’ve always been obsessed with Will, but I was also obsessed with Reese and really wanted to see her do a hard comedy again. She’s just so funny.”

READ MORE: The 75 Most Anticipated TV Shows Of 2025

Beyond the inevitable wedding mayhem, “You’re Cordially Invited” is ultimately about personal growth and unexpected bonds. “Will’s character is dealing with his daughter leaving the nest, and that’s hard to process. Reese’s character has cut off her family, and while that can be necessary in extreme situations, for most people, it’s not healthy,” Stoller said. “I love writing about people who don’t realize how lonely they are.”

In true Stoller fashion, the film doesn’t shy away from exploring the messier sides of human nature. “I don’t think about characters as ‘likable’—I think about them as relatable,” he said. “We’ve all done things we regret out of hurt, betrayal, or loneliness. That’s just being human.” This mindset extends across his entire filmography, which notably lacks traditional villains. “In real life, most people aren’t outright villains. They’ve just had a traumatic past that shapes the way they act. I prefer to write from that perspective.”

Though Ferrell is known for his improvisational wizardry, Stoller clarified that he’s more structured than people assume. “He doesn’t actually improv as much as people think. He can do it brilliantly, but he likes direction. Reese is also great at it,” he noted. Given the ensemble nature of the film, the final product is about 80-90% scripted, with room for spontaneity where needed. “Because almost every scene had five people in it, improv had to be carefully managed.”

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

With “You’re Cordially Invited” ready to roll out, Stoller is already knee-deep in his next project, the action-comedy “Judgment Day,” which sees him reuniting with Ferrell. “It’s a [comedic] mix of ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’ ‘Inside Man,’ and ‘A Few Good Men,’” he teased. “Very different from this, but it’s going to be a blast.”

Of course, not every past project has aged gracefully – and through no fault of Stoller’s. “Get Him to the Greek”, which featured Russell Brand and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, now carries baggage that no filmmaker could have predicted due to their recent issues and accusations. “It bums me out because obviously those two people have revealed themselves to not be good people,” Stoller admitted. “But I can’t control what shitty people do. I don’t think most audiences care, though. They can separate the art from the artist.”

He likened it to watching “Annie Hall,” a film that remains beloved despite the controversies surrounding Woody Allen. “I love ‘Annie Hall,’ and Jerrod Carmichael has a funny stand up bit, and we actually made an episode of ‘The Carmichael Show’ about this, which is like, ‘talent trumps morals.’ And there is some truth to it. Like, usually pretty f—ked up people make interesting art, because they’re thinking about all this weird stuff.”

“You’re Cordially Invited” premieres January 30 on Prime Video. Listen to the full interview with Nicholas Stoller below:

The Playlist Presents – Nicholas Stoller’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:

• “When Harry Met Sally” (1989)
• “Babylon Berlin” (2017– )
• “The Shining” (1980)
• “A Few Good Men” (1992)
• “Election” (1999)
• “Legally Blonde” (2001)
• “Talladega Nights” (2006)
• “Step Brothers” (2008)

The Discourse is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, Bingeworthy, and more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud,  and most places where podcasts are found. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating—we greatly appreciate your support