Amazon has dropped Luca Guadagnino's controversial Sam Altman biopic, Artificial, after striking a significant partnership with OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company led by Altman. The film, which was poised for an awards run next year, will now seek a new distributor.
Amazon's Statement
In a statement first reported by Puck, Amazon said it believes 'that Artificial will be better served if it were released by a different studio and are working closely with the film-making team to find the film a new home.' The decision follows a $15 billion investment by Amazon in OpenAI, with an additional $35 billion expected in the coming months, according to OpenAI's website. This deal builds on a $38 billion cloud computing agreement signed last year.
Film Details
The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk. It is believed to be an unflattering portrayal of the tech mogul. Written by award-winning comedy writer Simon Rich, the film wrapped shooting last autumn and focuses on Altman's dramatic firing and rehiring in 2023. The story's hero is OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, played by Anora star Yura Borisov, who was among the board members who ousted Altman.
Amazon added, 'We have the utmost respect and admiration for Luca Guadagnino as an award-winning film-maker – not to mention a longstanding relationship that we hope to continue.'
Release Plans
The film had been circling a wide release in early 2027, after an awards qualifying run in the US over Christmas, to avoid competition from Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning, a follow-up to David Fincher's The Social Network. That film stars Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg and Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Also starring in Artificial are Monica Barbaro, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O'Dowd, and Mark Rylance.
Last year, Puck reported that Warner Bros and Paramount had passed on Rich's script over concerns it was 'dull,' though sources deny the script was shopped around and claim it was bought by Amazon at script stage.
Guadagnino's recent films include After the Hunt, Challengers, Call Me By Your Name, Queer, and A Bigger Splash. Rich is known for his novellas and screenplays, including Inside Out, Wonka, and An American Pickle.
