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Amazon MGM’s exit from Artificial did not fully surprise Garfield
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Andrew Garfield said Amazon MGM Studios’ decision to drop “Artificial”, Luca Guadagnino’s film about Sam Altman and OpenAI, did not entirely surprise him. He said the studio had supported the production, but suggested the film was ultimately better suited to another distributor; its move to Neon keeps it on course for an awards campaign and this year’s Oscar race.
The nearly completed film, which cost about $40 million, dramatises Altman’s 2023 firing and subsequent reinstatement as OpenAI chief, with Garfield playing Altman. Amazon said the project would be better served elsewhere after striking an OpenAI partnership involving a $50 billion investment; Neon subsequently acquired it. Garfield said he did not contact Altman for research, relying instead on extensive public interviews, footage and reporting, though he would be interested in meeting him.
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In short
- Neon takes over Altman film after Amazon MGM withdraws.
- Garfield says the decision was only partly surprising.
- The $40 million film targets this year’s Oscars.
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Garfield publicly said for the first time that he would welcome meeting Altman despite never contacting him for the role, having instead based his performance on public material.
- 4 months ago Andrew Garfield said he had not been wholly surprised by Amazon’s withdrawal, which followed its $50 billion OpenAI investment partnership, and said Neon was a more suitable distributor.
- 4 months ago Amazon MGM Studios abandoned Luca Guadagnino’s $40 million Sam Altman drama Artificial, after which Neon acquired the nearly finished film and planned an Oscars campaign.
Explained simply
Amazon MGM Studios recently pulled out of distributing "Artificial," a film directed by Luca Guadagnino that tells the story of Sam Altman's brief removal and swift reinstatement as head of the artificial intelligence company OpenAI in 2023. Andrew Garfield plays Altman in the film, alongside Monica Barbaro, Mark Rylance and Cooper Hoffman. The studio Neon has since taken over the project and plans to back it with an awards campaign.
Amazon's decision to step away came not long after it agreed a $50 billion investment partnership with OpenAI, raising questions about how the two moves might be connected, though Amazon has not linked them directly. Garfield has now spoken about the change for the first time, describing his reaction and his approach to portraying Altman, whom he has never met or contacted.
The story matters because it touches on the relationship between major companies, the people they do business with, and the films made about them, as well as how a high-profile awards contender found a new home after an unexpected change in backing.
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Originally published by Variety as “Andrew Garfield on Amazon Dropping ‘Artificial’ and Wanting to Meet Sam Altman (EXCLUSIVE)”.