Amazon MGM Studios has dropped a nearly completed film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, directed by award-winning filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. The decision came from Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios chief Mike Hopkins, who informed the filmmaker and producing team directly.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, which confirmed the story first reported by Puck, the film titled Artificial will now be shopped to other studios.
The timing has drawn attention. Amazon announced just a few months ago that it had invested $50 billion in OpenAI as part of a multi-year strategic partnership to accelerate OpenAI's use of Amazon Web Services.
Amazon released a statement addressing the decision. "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," a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. "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."
Reps for Guadagnino did not respond to requests for comment.
The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and centers on a turbulent period at OpenAI in 2023, when Altman was fired and then rehired within days. Described as Social Network-esque in style, the film was shot in San Francisco and Italy. The supporting cast includes Yura Borisov, who broke out in Anora, as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, Monica Barbaro as chief technology officer Mira Murati, and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk.
Test screenings in Los Angeles reportedly drew a warm reception, but the film's portrayals of both Altman and Musk are not believed to be entirely flattering. Altman and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos are reportedly friendly. Altman was among the high-profile guests at Bezos's Venice wedding to Lauren Sanchez last year.
Artificial marked Guadagnino and Amazon MGM's third collaboration. Their previous projects together include 2024's Challengers and After the Hunt, which also starred Garfield alongside Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri. The film was only announced last year, and Guadagnino is said to have nearly finished it.
No new distribution deal has been announced yet.
