Andrew Garfield has addressed for the first time the controversy surrounding Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial, in which he plays OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, after Amazon dropped the film and Neon stepped in to distribute it.
Details:
- The comments: Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the New York premiere of The Magic Faraway Tree, Garfield said “this business is in an interesting place,” thanking Amazon both for making the film and for helping it find a new home.
- Amazon’s exit: Amazon MGM abruptly dropped the feature this summer, months after committing to a $50 billion investment with OpenAI, saying the film would be “better served” by a different studio.
- Studios passed: Sources told THR that Warner Bros., Netflix and Focus declined to pick it up for several reasons, including political concerns, before Neon acquired it.
- The story: The film covers the turbulent stretch at OpenAI in 2023 when Altman was fired and rehired within days. Yura Borisov plays Ilya Sutskever, Monica Barbaro plays Mira Murati and Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk.
What to Watch:
No new release date has been set under Neon, leaving open whether the concerns that pushed major studios away will shape the film’s distribution footprint.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
