Neon, the Oscar-winning independent distributor, has acquired worldwide rights to the unreleased film 'Artificial,' about OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. Targeting a 2026 release and a run at the 2027 Academy Awards, the film is directed by Luca Guadagnino, with Andrew Garfield playing Sam Altman.
2026 Release · Neon Acquisition
Neon Lands 'Artificial,' the Guadagnino Film About OpenAI and Sam Altman
The Oscar-winning independent distributor has secured worldwide rights to the unreleased biopic — with Andrew Garfield as Altman — after Amazon walked away following its ~$50B investment in OpenAI.
~$40M
Production budget of the film
2023
The OpenAI boardroom power struggle at its core
2027
Targeted Academy Awards run
The Amazon Conflict, To Scale
Amazon's OpenAI investment
~$50B
Amazon initially held the rights, then let the film go after its ~$50B OpenAI stake — a gap of roughly 1,250× the film's budget, raising conflict-of-interest scrutiny.
The Convoluted Distribution Path
Amazon MGMheld, then dropped rights
→
Major studiosA24, Netflix, WB, Focus cautious
→
Neonsecures worldwide rights
Key Credits
Director · Luca GuadagninoLead · Andrew Garfield (as Sam Altman)Co-star · Monica BarbaroStatus · Nearly complete, in post-production
Why It's Being Watched
A case of the AI boom and Big Tech's influence reaching into film distribution — with a reportedly less-than-flattering portrayal of Altman that studios treated cautiously.
Neon brings Oscar pedigree — 'Parasite,' 'Anatomy of a Fall' — and a track record on controversial material.
Still unknown: The film is unreleased — no audience or critic reviews yet, and runtime and the full official cast remain unannounced. How it reconstructs the 2023 turmoil, and its reception, will wait until release.
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