Luca Guadagnino's starry film about OpenAI and Sam Altman, "Artificial," has been acquired by indie distributor Neon after being dropped by Amazon MGM Studios. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Neon said Tuesday that it bought the film following a bidding process. Amazon dropped the nearly complete $40 million film, starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, earlier this month, a surprise move that came just months after Amazon announced a $50 billion investment in OpenAI.
Amazon said then that "Artificial" would "be better served if it were released by a different studio." Neon said Tuesday that it will release "Artificial" this year and "compete in this year's Oscar race." The film, which chronicles the days leading up to the 2023 firing and reinstatement of Altman as OpenAI chief executive, also stars Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov and Academy Award winner Mark Rylance. Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk.
In late February, Amazon signed an expansive multiyear partnership with the artificial intelligence startup. Then earlier this month, Amazon MGM said it would put the film up for sale to find it a new home. Neon has established an enviable awards-season track record with Oscar winners like "Parasite" and "Anora." The studio declined to disclose how much it paid for the worldwide rights to "Artificial."