The decision by Amazon to abruptly drop Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman movie “Artificial” has prompted all sorts of wild speculation around town.
What will Amazon founder Jeff Bezos expect in return for doing Sam Altman this alleged favor? Will the move have a chilling effect on future projects about AI or Bezos’ buddies? Was President Trump somehow involved?
One question that doesn’t seem to have been answered: Is the movie any good? It stars Andrew Garfield as the OpenAI founder and centers on his controversial firing and subsequent rehiring in 2023. Answering that question isn’t easy as the film has been shown to potential buyers in shrouds of secrecy.
Netflix, A24 and Focus Features all decided against pursuing the project after Amazon let it go. Sources close to the decision-making process at the companies suggests that there wasn’t some grand conspiracy at work, but rather it came down to a question of taste with some simply not liking Guadagnino’s latest project. (His credits include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Challengers,” “Bones and All” and “Queer.”)
But few have actually seen his newest movie. One source said the screenings of “Artificial,” which took place over the weekend to potential distributors and has been handled by CAA Media Finance, has been cloaked in a level of secrecy that they haven’t seen before. “It’s nuts,” said this source. CAA declined to comment.
The reviews of those who have viewed the film are mixed.
One exec said his deputies were so unimpressed that it wasn’t even considered, while another seasoned source called it “excellent.”
Another film vet mused, “Luca is a bit of a hit or miss filmmaker,” after the Oscar nominee’s last film, “After the Hunt,” starring Julia Roberts, failed to connect.
“I hear that the first hour is very slow, but the second hour is very strong, and the movie paints an image that the world might be doomed,” said one source. It is not known why Amazon suddenly pulled the plug.
Page Six Hollywood had previously reported that the streamer bought the pitch from writer Simon Rich unseen, and was said to be excited about the project. Insiders also told us that no one outside of Amazon had seen it, and that the script painted a not-so-sympathetic portrait of Altman.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $50M investment into OpenAI, which, of course, led many to believe this was done to preserve the relationship between the two.
Bezos and Altman are friends. Altman was at Bezos’ wedding to Lauren Sanchez last year. (FWIW, it’s been reported that Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, was the one who made the call to dump the film. Hopkins was also been behind the studio’s acquisition of “Melania.”)
We hear one potential hangup on the Altman film was the studio’s strong desire for a 2026 release — Amazon had been eyeing an early 2027 bow — given that “The Social Reckoning,” Aaron Sorkin’s follow up to “The Social Network,” will be released in October. The two movies have similar plots and themes.
Both Mubi and Neon are currently reportedly interested in picking up “Artificial,” with Mubi’s interest appearing stronger, sources tell P6H.
On Monday, Google announced a $75M investment in A24 as part of a research partnership between the tech giant’s AI lab, DeepMind and the studio to develop AI tools for filmmakers.