Elon Musk actor finalized: All about Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial'
What's the story
Actor-comedian Ike Barinholtz is in negotiations to portray Elon Musk in Luca Guadagnino's upcoming AI-themed film, Artificial, reported Deadline. The movie is being produced by Amazon MGM Studios and features a star-studded cast including Yura Borisov, Andrew Garfield, and Cooper Koch. Barinholtz's recent performance in Apple's The Studio earned him his first Emmy nomination.
Film synopsis
'Artificial' is reportedly set around the OpenAI firing-rehiring saga
While official plot details for Artificial are still undisclosed, the film is said to be a comedic drama set in the realm of artificial intelligence. Although unconfirmed, sources suggest that it centers around a pivotal moment at OpenAI in 2023 when CEO Sam Altman was both fired and rehired within days.
Musk's history
Musk co-founded OpenAI; has since pursued his own AI initiatives
Musk, the world's richest man, is a billionaire entrepreneur known for Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and X (formerly Twitter). He co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left in 2018 over disagreements about its direction. Despite his concerns about AI's potential dangers, he has continued to pursue his own AI initiatives through Tesla, Neuralink, and xAI. His AI chatbot Grok was integrated into X in 2023.
Production details
Simon Rich will write and produce the film
Simon Rich has written the script for Artificial and will also be producing the film. He will be joined by David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford from Heyday Films, along with Jennifer Fox. The project was first announced in early June. Barinholtz, known for his role as Sal Saperstein in Apple's The Studio, is represented by UTA, Artists First, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.