Amazon Shelves 'Artificial' Film After $50B OpenAI Investment
In brief
- Amazon shelved 'Artificial,' chronicling Sam Altman's 2023 OpenAI ouster, from its release calendar
- Mike Hopkins, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios head, halted the planned film release
- Andrew Garfield stars as Altman in Luca Guadagnino's film, now shopped to rival studios
The Reversal
Amazon shelved the film "Artificial," a project about Sam Altman's 2023 ouster as OpenAI CEO, pulling it from its release calendar and shopping it to rival studios instead. Mike Hopkins, who oversees Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, made the decision to not move forward with the planned release, according to Puck.
The timing is notable. Amazon's $50 billion investment in OpenAI came months before the studio shelved the film. The company framed the move as a matter of fit rather than conflict.
The Film's Journey
The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and Yura Borisov as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever. It was written by Simon Rich and directed by Luca Guadagnino, an award-winning filmmaker.
What changed? An early script depicted Altman unflatteringly, portraying him as power-hungry and manipulative. The finished film's tone grew considerably darker than the original pitch, prompting Hopkins to halt its release after viewing a cut.
Amazon isn't burying the project. Creative Artists Agency is now screening the film for potential new distributors, meaning another studio could still release it.
What Amazon Said
An Amazon spokesperson offered this statement: "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."
