Amazon MGM Studios pulls Sam Altman biopic “Artificial” after $50 bn OpenAI partnership

Amazon’s film unit, Amazon MGM Studios, announced it will not release the near‑finished biopic *Artificial*, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The film dramatizes the five‑day 2023 boardroom clash that saw Altman removed and reinstated as CEO. Prime Video head Mike Hopkins said the studio believes the movie “will be better served if it were released by a different studio,” and Amazon is working with the production team to find a new distributor.

The decision comes months after Amazon disclosed a multibillion‑dollar partnership with OpenAI, committing an initial $15 billion and up to $35 billion more, on top of an existing $38 billion cloud‑computing agreement. Reports suggest the film’s darker tone and unflattering portrayal of Altman and Elon Musk may have conflicted with Amazon’s newly deepened commercial ties to OpenAI.

*Artificial* was nearly completed, had positive test‑screenings in several markets, and had an estimated production budget of $40‑75 million, of which Amazon had already invested roughly $40 million. The cast also includes Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, Ike Barinholtz and others. After the pull‑back, the movie is being shopped to other studios and streaming platforms such as Netflix, A24, Neon and others.

Amazon’s statement emphasized “the utmost respect and admiration for Luca Guadagnino” and the intention to maintain a long‑term relationship with the director while seeking a new home for the film.