Neon has acquired the film “Artificial,” directed by Luca Guadagnino, after Amazon MGM Studios decided not to release it. The indie distributor secured the film following a bidding process, as announced on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Amazon unexpectedly dropped the nearly complete $40 million film, which stars Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman. This decision came despite Amazon’s recent $50 billion investment in OpenAI, signaling a change in their release strategy. Amazon stated that “Artificial” would find a better platform with a different distributor.
Neon plans to release “Artificial” within the year and intends for it to participate in this year’s Oscar race. The movie portrays the events surrounding the firing and subsequent reinstatement of Sam Altman as the CEO of OpenAI in 2023. Besides Garfield, the cast includes Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, and Mark Rylance, who has won an Academy Award. Ike Barinholtz portrays Elon Musk in the film.
In February, Amazon formed a multiyear partnership with the artificial intelligence firm OpenAI. Earlier in the month, Amazon MGM decided to sell the film, seeking a new distributor.
Neon has a strong reputation during awards season, backing Oscar winners such as “Parasite” and “Anora.” It has also supported the last seven Palme d’Or winners at the Cannes Film Festival. Neon did not disclose the cost of acquiring global rights to “Artificial.”
The studio emphasized its dedication to collaborating with innovative filmmakers and bringing ambitious cinema to audiences worldwide in a statement regarding the acquisition.
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