Neon has officially picked up worldwide distribution rights to *Artificial*, giving director Luca Guadagnino’s high-profile drama a new theatrical home after Amazon MGM Studios stepped away from the project.
The film explores one of the most closely watched moments in the technology industry, dramatizing the events surrounding OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman’s brief removal from the company in 2023 and his swift return just days later.
Andrew Garfield leads the cast as Altman, joined by Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, Mark Rylance and Ike Barinholtz, who portrays Elon Musk. The production was made with an estimated budget of $40 million and is already close to completion.
Amazon MGM surprised many in the industry when it decided not to release the film despite having developed the project. The studio said it believed the movie would be better suited to another distributor, prompting a search for a new partner.
Following interest from several potential buyers, Neon secured the worldwide rights and intends to release the film later this year. The distributor has also indicated that it expects the movie to be part of the upcoming awards season conversation, continuing its reputation for backing ambitious filmmaker-driven projects.
Terms of the acquisition have not been made public, but the deal ensures that one of Hollywood’s most talked about productions will reach audiences after an unexpected change in distribution plans.
