Overview
- Amazon MGM/Prime Video told Luca Guadagnino on Friday that it will not release the nearly finished film 'Artificial' and said it is helping the filmmakers find another distributor.
- 'Artificial' dramatizes OpenAI’s 2023 leadership crisis, stars Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, and has drawn positive responses in early test screenings according to multiple reports.
- The studio decision follows Amazon’s February announcement of a roughly $50 billion strategic partnership with OpenAI, a development that has intensified public scrutiny of the timing and optics.
- Reports say Prime Video and Amazon MGM chief Mike Hopkins communicated the choice to Guadagnino, and industry screenings are underway as the project is shopped to other buyers.
- While there is no public evidence that OpenAI directly pressured Amazon, the episode is fueling debate about how major corporate deals can shape what large studios are willing to distribute and support.