Sam Altman and OpenAI's boardroom battle is becoming a movie
What's the story
The tumultuous events at OpenAI in 2023, which saw co-founder and CEO Sam Altman's firing and rehiring in just five days, are set to be immortalized on the big screen.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Amazon MGM Studios is developing a film titled Artificial to depict the brief but intense drama that unfolded at the AI firm.
While details are still being finalized, reports suggest that Luca Guadagnino is in talks to direct the project.
Casting details
Andrew Garfield likely to play Altman
The studio is reportedly considering Andrew Garfield for the role of Altman. The 41-year-old American actor is known for his performances in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Monica Barbaro, seen in Top Gun: Maverick, is being eyed to play former CTO Mira Murati, and Yura Borisov could be cast as Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder who had called for Altman's ouster.
The screenplay has been written by Simon Rich, a writer for Saturday Night Live.
Production details
Amazon is fast-tracking the project
The Hollywood Reporter also revealed that Amazon MGM is fast-tracking the project with hopes of starting production this summer.
Filming locations are expected to include San Francisco and parts of Italy.
OpenAI, founded in 2015, aims to develop "safe and beneficial" artificial intelligence and is known for its AI chatbot ChatGPT.
In late 2023, Altman was fired after the board claimed a lack of confidence in his abilities but was reinstated after days of negotiations.
Director's portfolio
Guadagnino has several other projects in the pipeline
Guadagnino, known for his work on Challengers and Call Me by Your Name, has several upcoming projects.
These include the #MeToo thriller After the Hunt with Julia Roberts and Garfield. He was also attached to a DC adaptation of Sgt Rock but that film is no longer in development.
Artificial joins a list of other AI-themed films in development, including an untitled thriller starring Anne Hathaway directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Joe Wright's Alignment.