Luca Guadagnino’s Film ‘Artificial’ About Sam Altman Dropped by Amazon

Luca Guadagnino’s nearly finished film Artificial, centered on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has been dropped by Amazon MGM Studios and is currently being pitched to other studios. This decision comes despite the film nearing completion and having undergone multiple test screenings.

Starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, the film delves into a tumultuous time in the tech CEO’s career, including his abrupt firing from OpenAI in 2023 and subsequent reinstatement. Amazon’s choice to withdraw from the project has garnered attention, particularly given its timing. Earlier in February, Amazon announced a significant partnership with OpenAI, which involved expanding the use of Amazon Web Services and investing approximately $50 billion into AI development.

Amazon MGM Studios remarked on the decision, stating: “We have the utmost respect and admiration for Luca Guadagnino as an award-winning filmmaker — not to mention a longstanding relationship that we hope to continue. We believe that ‘Artificial’ will be better served if it were released by a different studio and are working closely with the filmmaking team to find the film a new home.”

The cast of Artificial is extensive, featuring several notable actors portraying real-life tech and business figures. Monica Barbaro plays former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Yura Borisov takes on the role of former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, and Ike Barinholtz portrays Elon Musk. Other cast members include Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O’Dowd, and Mark Rylance.

The screenplay, penned by Simon Rich, known for his work on Saturday Night Live, focuses on the internal strife at OpenAI during a brief but highly publicized leadership crisis involving Sam Altman.

Artificial has already undergone several test screenings prior to Amazon’s decision to drop it. Reports indicate that these early screenings elicited strong reactions from audiences. The film was also presented to other studios on Thursday as part of the search for a new distributor.

An insider familiar with the screenings noted that the film depicts its central figures in a critical light, suggesting that characters based on Sam Altman and Elon Musk are among the least sympathetic in the narrative and are likely to be perceived negatively by viewers.

It is also reported that Amazon had access to early drafts of the script before Guadagnino became involved, indicating that the studio was aware of the film’s direction well before its final production stage.

Another noteworthy detail is the personal and business connections within the broader tech landscape. Sam Altman has a known relationship with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and even attended Bezos’ wedding in Italy last year.

The film is now being circulated among other studios, and its final release plans remain uncertain. Despite its strong cast and completed production status, Artificial now faces an unexpected delay as it seeks a new home.

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