Luca Guadagnino's biopic about Sam Altman, titled "Artificial," has been dropped by its distributor, Amazon, just as it gears up for an awards season next year. According to a statement from Puck, Amazon has indicated that it believes the film would be better positioned under a different studio and is collaborating with the filmmakers to secure a new distribution partner.
This decision comes shortly after Amazon forged a significant partnership with OpenAI, the organization of which Altman is the CEO. The newly minted agreement involves an immediate investment of $15 billion from Amazon, with a potential additional investment of $35 billion contingent upon certain criteria being met, as outlined on OpenAI's website. This follows a $38 billion cloud computing arrangement struck between the two entities the previous year.
"Artificial," featuring Andrew Garfield as Altman and Ike Barinholtz portraying Elon Musk, is thought to offer a less-than-flattering representation of the influential tech leader.
Amazon expressed its continued respect for Guadagnino, noting their long-standing relationship, and hopes to maintain their collaboration in the future.
The screenplay, penned by renowned comedy writer Simon Rich, wrapped production last fall and delves into the tumultuous saga of Altman's firing and subsequent rehiring in 2023. Recent reports from Page Six reveal that the story's central character is Ilya Sutskever, one of OpenAI's co-founders, played by Yura Borisov. Sutskever was one of the board members who voted to oust Altman but stepped down shortly after Altman's reinstatement a week later.
Initially, "Artificial" was targeting a broad release in early 2027, following an awards qualifying run in the United States around Christmas, to sidestep competition from Aaron Sorkin's "The Social Reckoning." This sequel to David Fincher's "The Social Network" (2010) features Jeremy Strong as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, alongside Garfield, and also presents an Anora star as a whistleblower in a narrative about questionable practices among tech leaders.
The cast of "Artificial" includes notable names such as Monica Barbaro, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O'Dowd, and Mark Rylance.
Reports from Puck last year indicated that both Warner Bros and Paramount had declined to take on Rich's script, citing concerns over its perceived dullness. However, sources have contested claims that the script was actively sold, asserting instead that Amazon acquired it at the script stage.
Guadagnino's latest film, "After the Hunt," featured Garfield in the role of an academic embroiled in a sexual assault accusation. His oeuvre includes acclaimed works like "Challengers," "Call Me By Your Name," "Queer," and "A Bigger Splash."
Rich has gained recognition for his novellas and short stories, which have amassed a devoted fan base. His film credits span projects like "Inside Out," "Wonka," and "A Minecraft Movie," as well as the script for "An American Pickle," a film adaptation of his story published in The New Yorker.
