[Photo Credit to Pixabay]

Amazon MGM Studios has unexpectedly dropped Luca Guadagnino’s nearly finished film “Artificial”, a dramatization of Sam Altman’s 2023 firing and reinstatement at OpenAI, after Amazon announced on June 19, 2026, that it would expand its partnership with OpenAI.

The film, starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, will now be shopped to other studios instead of being released by Amazon. 

Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that it had dropped the project, despite the film being nearly completed.

Amazon had reportedly invested around $40 million on the movie and had already tested it in four markets before the decision. 

In a public statement, Amazon stated that “Artificial” would “be better served if it were released by a different studio” and that the company was “working closely with the filmmaking team to find the film a new home.”

Amazon also reiterated its “utmost respect and admiration” for Guadagnino as an award winning filmmaker and expressed hope of continuing its relationship with him.

The decision to drop “Artificial”, a biopic of Sam Altman, has drawn attention because Amazon recently expanded its business relationship with OpenAI. 

Notably, Amazon’s partnership with OpenAI includes a $50 billion investment, with an immediate $15 million investment contingent on certain conditions.

The deal also followed a previous $39 billion cloud computing agreement between the two companies. 

The timing of Amazon’s decision has raised questions because the company’s film division had been preparing to release a movie about the chief executive of OpenAI while Amazon's larger business was deepening ties with the same company. 

However, Amazon has not publicly stated that its OpenAI partnership influenced its decision to drop the film. 

“Artificial” is said to focus on the dramatic leadership conflicts in OpenAI’s history. 

In 2023, Altman was briefly removed as CEO of OpenAI before being reinstated days later. 

The incident garnered widespread public attention because OpenAI had become one of the most influential companies in the artificial intelligence industry. 

The film centers on this period, exploring tensions over leadership, power, and the future direction of artificial intelligence. 

The cast features several actors portraying major figures connected to OpenAI and the technology industry. Andrew Garfield plays Altman, while Monica Barbaro plays former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati. 

Yura Borisov plays former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, and Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk. 

Other cast members include Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O’Dowd, and Mark Rylance.

The screenplay was penned by Simon Rich, a former Saturday Night Live writer. 

Prior to Amazon’s decision, Artificial had already gone through several stages of production and review. 

The film had held several test screenings, and the audience response was reportedly positive. 

It had also been screened for other studios as the filmmaking team began seeking a new distributor. 

Amazon MGM Studios had reportedly planned to release "Artificial" in 2027. 

The film team had also aimed for it to premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. 

Another report stated that the movie had been expected to receive an awards-qualifying release in the United States around Christmas before a wider release in early 2027. 

Multiple sources have indicated that the film’s portrayal of technology leaders may have made the project more sensitive. 

The movie is believed to present Altman in an unflattering light, and one person who had seen the film said the characters of Altman and Musk were among the least sympathetic figures in the story. 

Still, Amazon has not said that the film’s portrayal of Altman, Musk, or OpenAI influenced its decision.

The film is now being screened for prospective distributors. 

ompanies that have reportedly viewed or been approached about the movie include Neon, A24, Focus, Netflix, and Warner Bros’ specialty division Clockwork. 

As of the report, no new studio has purchased the film.

Amazon’s decision leaves Artificial without a confirmed release home despite the movie being nearly finished and already tested with audiences. 

This incident underscores the growing overlap between Hollywood, artificial intelligence companies, and major technology companies through investment, cloud computing, and distribution deals, films about powerful tech figures may face new challenges before reaching the public.