Amazon drops finished Sam Altman film after OpenAI deal
Amazon MGM Studios has dropped “Artificial,” Luca Guadagnino’s nearly finished film about OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, saying the project “will be better served if it were released by a different studio.” The film, written by Simon Rich and starring Andrew Garfield as Altman alongside Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, dramatizes Altman’s brief 2023 ouster and reinstatement. It had tested well and is now being shopped to other studios.
The reversal follows Amazon’s roughly $50 billion partnership with OpenAI, announced in February, which expands OpenAI’s use of Amazon Web Services and joint AI development. Releasing an unflattering portrait of OpenAI’s founder while deepening a commercial relationship with the company created an obvious conflict. The decision is a clear example of how a studio’s infrastructure and cloud deals can shape which films it is willing to put out — a consideration that grows as entertainment and AI firms become financially entangled.