Luca Guadagnino’s Controversial Sam Altman Movie ‘Artificial’ Finally Has a Premiere Date & First Look

Few films this year have generated quite as much industry chatter before ever reaching a screen as Luca Guadagnino’s dramatization of OpenAI’s boardroom chaos. The project has spent months bouncing between studios, sparking speculation, and raising eyebrows over just how candidly Hollywood is willing to dramatize one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful current players.

That behind-the-scenes drama has arguably become almost as compelling as the film’s actual subject matter. Originally developed and financed by Amazon MGM Studios, the roughly $40 million production found itself abruptly dropped by the studio in June, just months after Amazon announced a massive $50 billion investment in OpenAI itself, a decision that raised plenty of questions given the film’s less-than-flattering subject matter.

Now, after a whirlwind acquisition by Neon following that surprising split, ‘Artificial‘ finally has a firm public destination. The film will officially world premiere on October 5 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall as part of the New York Film Festival’s Main Slate, with director Luca Guadagnino expected to attend alongside stars Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, and Ike Barinholtz.

The film centers on the extraordinary five-day corporate crisis that unfolded in November 2023, when OpenAI’s board abruptly fired CEO Sam Altman before reinstating him just days later. Garfield leads the cast as Altman, with Borisov playing OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, the executive who spearheaded the effort to remove him, while Barbaro portrays former chief technology officer Mira Murati and Barinholtz takes on the role of Elon Musk.

Garfield has been notably candid about how he approached playing a still-active, highly scrutinized tech executive without ever meeting him personally. Rather than seeking out Altman directly, the actor built his performance entirely from available public record, telling Esquire U.K. that he relied on “the screenplay, court transcripts, interviews and research” to shape his portrayal.

That approach reflects the broader tightrope ‘Artificial’ has had to walk since its inception. NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim described the film as finding the perfect tone to capture how the world arrived at its current moment of AI anxiety, framing Guadagnino’s latest project as both thrilling and deeply human despite its heavy subject matter.

The film’s ensemble runs deep beyond its central quartet, also featuring Mark Rylance as AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, along with Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Billie Lourd, and Zosia Mamet rounding out the supporting cast. Simon Rich wrote the screenplay, working alongside producers David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford, Guadagnino, Jennifer Fox, and Rich himself.

Amazon’s decision to part ways with a nearly completed production sent ripples through the industry when it first broke, particularly given the studio’s newly formed financial ties to OpenAI. Multiple distributors reportedly circled the project in the aftermath, with Neon ultimately acquiring worldwide theatrical rights and taking on responsibility for the film’s marketing and distribution costs.

That turbulent path has only added to the anticipation surrounding ‘Artificial’s’ eventual release, positioning it as one of the more talked-about entries at this year’s New York Film Festival, which runs from September 25 through October 12. A December theatrical release is currently being targeted for the film following its festival debut.

For a movie built entirely around the volatile intersection of ambition, technology, and corporate power, ‘Artificial’ has managed to generate its own real-world plot twists before audiences have even seen a single frame. Whether the finished film lives up to that behind-the-scenes drama will finally become clear once it debuts at Lincoln Center next month.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!