Luca Guadagnino's "Artificial" looks like another successful coup. The Italian director, currently the most sought-after by international stars, behind recent hits like "Queer" and "After the Hunt," has once again captured the media spotlight following the exclusive screening at the New York Film Festival of his latest film, inspired by none other than the complex figure of Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, and the dark machinations of the intricate world of artificial intelligence.
Based on a screenplay by Simon Rich and starring Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield, “Artificial” focuses on the five-day crisis that struck the AI development company in November 2023, when, amidst largely shrouded in mystery, the board of directors decided to remove Altman from his position, only to reinstate him shortly thereafter, under pressure from over seven hundred employees and investors, who had feared the company would collapse. Garfield, who is always impeccable, is joined by a top-notch cast, including Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, Ike Barinholtz, Jason Schwartzman, Billie Lourd, Cooper Hoffman, Mark Rylance, and Chris O'Dowd.
Even before the press preview, the title had been widely discussed due to the ongoing difficulties in finding a partner interested in distributing it. Last June, after developing the project internally and setting a release date for early 2027, Amazon MGM Studios retracted its previous agreements and ceased all further involvement, saying, according to official statements, the title would be "better served by another studio." This decision, curiously, coincided with the film's completion and, more importantly, following the strengthening of the commercial relationship between Amazon and OpenAI. It cannot be ruled out, therefore, that this decision was made precisely to prevent the film's sensitive content from somehow hindering negotiations between the two companies.
The issue further escalated after rejections from companies like Netflix, A24, and Focus Features. Just two months later, NEON, the American distribution company that currently holds the record for seven consecutive Palme d'Or wins at the Cannes Film Festival, stepped in to save the day. The company is preparing to return to theaters next November with Cristian Mungiu's moving "Fjord." Having acquired the rights to the film, the company is currently busy promoting it at major film events, awaiting its scheduled release in the U.S. on December 25th and in Italian theaters in January of next year.
