Amazon drops Sam Altman biopic 'Artificial'
What's the story
Amazon MGM Studios has decided to drop Luca Guadagnino's upcoming film Artificial, which is based on the life of OpenAI founder Sam Altman. The decision comes as a surprise considering the film is reportedly "almost finished." It will now be shopped to other studios. The move comes after Amazon's massive partnership with OpenAI in February, which included a $50 billion investment by Amazon.
Statement
Here's what the Amazon spokesperson said
Amazon MGM Studios announced its decision to drop the film on Friday. A spokesperson for Amazon said, "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."
Film details
Everything to know about 'Artificial'
Artificial chronicles Altman's journey as a tech entrepreneur and focuses on the brief period he was fired from his position at OpenAI in 2023 and then rehired. The company is best known for creating ChatGPT, the globally popular AI chatbot. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman, with Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, and Billie Lourd, among others.
Reception
The film received positive feedback in test screenings
Before being dropped by Amazon, Artificial had reportedly received positive feedback from several test screenings. The film was also screened for other studios on Thursday. An insider who has seen the movie revealed that the characters of Altman and Elon Musk are the least sympathetic and the ones audiences would "like the least," per Variety. The film was written by Saturday Night Live alum Simon Rich.