Amazon MGM Studios Pulls Distribution of Luca Guadagnino's OpenAI Drama Artificial
The studio says the film will be "better served" by a different distributor, amid a deepening business partnership between Amazon and OpenAI.
Amazon MGM Studios has announced it will not distribute the upcoming film Artificial, directed by Luca Guadagnino, which depicts OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the company's leadership crisis in November 2023. The studio stated it is working with the filmmakers to secure a new distributor for the project.
Studio Decision & Distribution
Amazon MGM Studios informed director Luca Guadagnino and the producing team of its decision, according to reports from Puck. The decision was made by Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios chief Mike Hopkins.
An Amazon spokesperson stated:
"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."
CAA Media Finance is now shopping the film to other distributors. According to reports, Mubi has expressed interest, and Neon is a potential candidate. Major studios including Sony, Paramount, Disney, Netflix, Lionsgate, and Warner Bros. have reportedly declined or are not interested.
Film Details
Artificial is written by Simon Rich. The script focuses on the events of November 2023, when Altman was fired and rehired by OpenAI's board within days. The film has been described as a "Social Network-esque" feature.
The Cast
- Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman
- Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever
- Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati
- Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk
- Mark Rylance, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, and Cooper Hoffman in undisclosed roles.
Filming took place in San Francisco and Italy, and production wrapped in autumn 2024. The film is currently in post-production. Test screenings in Los Angeles reportedly received a "warm reception." The film had been planned for an awards qualifying run in late 2026 and a wide release in early 2027.
Background & Business Context
The decision to withdraw distribution comes after Amazon and OpenAI announced a major partnership in February 2025. The agreement includes a $50 billion investment from Amazon and an expanded use of Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. Amazon and OpenAI had previously signed a $38 billion cloud computing deal in 2024.
Sam Altman and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos are reportedly acquainted. OpenAI was among the guests at Bezos's wedding to Lauren Sanchez in 2023.
This would have been the third collaboration between Guadagnino and Amazon MGM, following After the Hunt and Challengers. Amazon's statement noted its hope to continue its "longstanding relationship" with the filmmaker.
Representatives for Luca Guadagnino did not respond to requests for comment.