Director Luca Guadagnino's upcoming movie Artificial which revolves around OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, is no longer being backed by Amazon MGM Studios and is being shopped to other studios for distribution. Despite being in the final stages, the studio had dropped the project, reported Variety.
The development comes months after Amazon and OpenAI announced a major partnership aimed at expanding the artificial intelligence company's use of Amazon Web Services and developing customised AI models.
Without mentioning the reason for their decision, a spokesperson for Amazon said the studio holds Guadagnino in high regard and remains interested in working with him in the future.
In a statement they said, "We have the utmost respect and admiration for Luca Guadagnino as an award-winning filmmaker -- not to mention a longstanding relationship that we hope to continue. We believe that Artificial will be better served if it were released by a different studio and are working closely with the filmmaking team to find the film a new home," the spokesperson said.
The film features Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, and Monica Barbaro in leading roles, alongside Chris O'Dowd, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Hoffman, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, and Zosia Mamet. Garfield takes on the role of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose sudden firing and reinstatement in late 2023 made global headlines.
Written by Simon Rich, Artificial is produced by Rich alongside Heyday Films’ David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford, as well as Jennifer Fox.
The film had reportedly undergone multiple test screenings that received a positive response from audiences before Amazon's decision. It also said the project was screened for other studios on Thursday as producers began exploring alternative distribution options.
