NEW YORK — Indie film distributor Neon has stepped in to acquire “Artificial,” the Luca Guadagnino-directed film centered on Sam Altman and OpenAI, after Amazon MGM Studios walked away from the project.
Neon announced Tuesday that it secured the film through a competitive bidding process. Amazon had dropped the nearly finished production — which carries a budget of around $40 million — earlier this month. The move caught many in the industry off guard, especially since it came just months after Amazon had announced a $50 billion investment in OpenAI.
When stepping away from the project, Amazon stated that the film would “be better served if it were released by a different studio.”
Neon confirmed it plans to release “Artificial” before the end of this year, with intentions to “compete in this year’s Oscar race.” The film follows the events surrounding Altman’s firing and subsequent reinstatement as OpenAI’s chief executive in 2023. Andrew Garfield stars as Altman, with Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, and Academy Award winner Mark Rylance also in the cast. Ike Barinholtz portrays Elon Musk.
Amazon had entered into a broad, multiyear partnership with the artificial intelligence company in late February before Amazon MGM announced it was putting the film up for sale earlier this month.
Neon has built a strong reputation during awards season, having backed Oscar-winning films such as “Parasite” and “Anora.” The specialty distributor has also supported the last seven Palme d’Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival. The studio did not reveal the price it paid for the worldwide distribution rights to “Artificial.”
“The acquisition underscores Neon’s commitment to partnering with visionary filmmakers, and bringing ambitious cinema to audiences around the world,” the studio said in a prepared statement.
