Amazon MGM drops Sam Altman biopic after deepening OpenAI partnership

Amazon MGM Studios has dropped the nearly finished film "Artificial," a biopic about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman directed by Luca Guadagnino, four months after Amazon deepened its multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI. The film, which stars Andrew Garfield as Altman, was being shown to other studios the same day Amazon confirmed it would not release it.

The decision comes after Amazon invested approximately $50 billion in OpenAI in February, according to multiple reports. An early viewer told Variety that Altman and Elon Musk, portrayed by Ike Barinholtz, are the two characters audiences would "like the least."

Film's content and business ties create friction

The film chronicles the brief period in 2023 when Altman was abruptly ousted as OpenAI CEO and subsequently rehired. Monica Barbaro plays former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The cast also includes Yura Borisov, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Angus Imrie, Chris O'Dowd, Mark Rylance, and Thaddea Graham.

• Amazon had already seen every early iteration of the script before Guadagnino was hired to direct, Variety reported.
• The film had undergone positive screen tests with early audiences.
• Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have a high-profile friendship. Altman attended Bezos's wedding to Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy, in 2025.
• Amazon was one of OpenAI's first investors in 2015.
• The companies closed their first major deal in November 2025, allowing OpenAI to run systems on Amazon's U.S. data centers.

Creative freedom versus corporate interests

The case has sparked discussion about how deepening business ties between tech giants and entertainment studios can limit creative freedom. While Amazon did not officially explain why it dropped the film, the timing and Altman's unflattering portrayal have led to speculation about a conflict of interest.

Guadagnino's film would have been his third for Amazon MGM, following the critically acclaimed tennis romance "Challengers" (2024) and the academic scandal drama "After the Hunt" (2025), starring Julia Roberts. Amazon is now seeking another distributor to release "Artificial," according to reports from The Independent and The Next Web. It remains unclear whether the film will find a new home or if the project will be permanently shelved.