Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Neon Picks Up Guadagnino’s 'Artificial' After Amazon MGM Withdraws

The shift spotlights how studio ties to major AI firms may shape which films reach theaters and sends the production to an indie distributor planning an awards push.

Overview

  • Amazon MGM Studios announced in June that it would not distribute Luca Guadagnino’s near‑finished film Artificial, saying the movie would be better served by a different studio.
  • Neon acquired the nearly completed $40 million production later in June and has committed to a theatrical release and an awards‑season campaign though it has not announced a public release date.
  • The Simon Rich script dramatizes OpenAI’s 2023 firing and rehiring of Sam Altman with Andrew Garfield portraying the Altman figure and a supporting cast that includes Cooper Hoffman, Monica Barbaro and Ike Barinholtz.
  • Reports that Neon’s deal was a 'no‑money guarantee' rather than a traditional upfront purchase come from limited unnamed sources and have not been independently confirmed.
  • Cast members including Andrew Garfield publicly thanked Amazon for production support and welcomed Neon’s stewardship, a response that has intensified industry discussion about whether commercial ties between studios and AI companies influence distribution choices.