The film about Sam Altman has been dropped by Amazon MGM

Amazon MGM has dropped "Artificial," a Luca Guadagnino-directed biopic about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and is working with the filmmakers to find a new distributor [1]. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and covers the five days in 2023 when he was fired and reinstated [1]. The studio said in a statement that it believes the movie "will be better served if it were released by a different studio" [1]. The cast includes Monica Barbaro as OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, and Yura Borisov as chief scientist Ilya Sutskever [1]. Cooper Koch and Cooper Hoffman also appear in the biographical comedy drama, which was written by Simon Rich [7]. The events depicted in the film unfolded in November 2023, when OpenAI's board of directors ousted Altman, stating that "the board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI" [2]. The removal was predicated by employee concerns about his handling of artificial intelligence safety and allegations of abusive behavior [2]. Altman was reinstated on November 22 after pressure from employees and investors [2]. Amazon and OpenAI have close financial ties. Amazon announced a $50 billion investment in the AI lab in February [1]. The decision to drop the film comes as Amazon MGM continues to reshape its distribution operations. The company folded its United Artists Releasing joint venture into MGM in March 2023, citing "newfound theatrical release opportunities" [4]. Amazon MGM revived the United Artists brand in July 2024 with a multi-year first-look deal with producer Scott Stuber [4]. Guadagnino, an Italian director known for "Call Me by Your Name" and "Challengers," has built a career on films characterized by emotional complexity and lavish visuals [6]. Garfield, who plays Altman, is a Tony Award and Golden Globe winner previously nominated for two Academy Awards for his roles in "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Tick, Tick... Boom!" [8]. The film had been in development for about a year before Amazon MGM's decision [1].