Amazon MGM Exits Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman Biopic Starring Andrew Garfield

In a shocking move, Amazon MGM Studios has dropped Luca Guadagnino‘s nearly finished Sam Altman movie, Artificial. The movie starred Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield as the OpenAI CEO. Matthew Belloni’s Puck first reported the exit, sharing that the film is now being shopped to other studios.

A spokesperson for Amazon praised Guadagnino’s filmmaking, sharing that the studio hopes to continue their relationship. However, Amazon believed that Artificial would be better served under a different studio. The statement said (via Variety):

The timing raised eyebrows. Amazon’s exit follows a massive partnership it struck with OpenAI in February to expand the company’s use of Amazon Web Services and build custom AI models. According to Variety, this deal reportedly included a $50 billion investment. Releasing an unflattering portrait of its new business partner’s chief executive would have been an awkward position for the studio by any measure.

Was Artificial Too Risky for Amazon Due to Its Subject Matter?

Luca Guadagnino | Credits: Maximilian Bühn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to Puck’s report, Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial underwent a significant tonal shift. A source shared that it had become significantly darker than the version Simon Rich originally scripted or that Guadagnino first pitched. The report also said that Amazon MGM chief Mike Hopkins viewed a completed cut of the movie and made the call to pull it.

Variety reported that Artificial received very positive responses during its multiple test screenings. On Thursday, July 18, the movie was reportedly screened for other studios. An insider who had seen the movie told the outlet that the movie shed a negative light on Sam Altman and Elon Musk. They shared that they were the characters whom the audience would “like the least.”

A report from World of Reel, after a private screening of the movie, called it “The Social Network, but for the AI era.” It charts the rise of OpenAI and follows the brain behind it, Ilya Sutskever, played by Yura Borisov. Andrew Garfield portrays Sam Altman, who is reportedly painted in a less-than-flattering light.

Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are known to have a relationship. Altman reportedly attended Bezos’ wedding in Italy last year. Whether that friendship factored into the decision is unconfirmed, but a critical Altman drama from the studio would have affected it.

It is also possible that the studio may have lost faith in the movie’s commercial and awards prospects after their failed earlier collaboration, After the Hunt. However, it is a less likely possibility.

Everything to Know About Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial

Andrew Garfield in a still from After the Hunt | Credits: Amazon MGM Studios

Artificial came together quickly when Luca Guadagnino’s DC movie fell apart. He was supposed to helm a Sgt. Rock movie starring Colin Farrell, which was unexpectedly scrapped. He immediately took on this production and shot the entire movie last year. It means that the movie is currently through with post-production and ready to be released.

As mentioned earlier, Anora fame Yura Borisov and Andrew Garfield take on key roles in the movie. The rest of the cast includes Monica Barbaro as OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O’Dowd, and Mark Rylance.

With Guadagnino’s reputation in Call Me By Your Name, Challengers, and Bones and All, Artificial is expected to find a new home quite quickly.

What do you think of Amazon’s exit from the movie? Let us know in the comments below!