Everything We Know About *Artificial*, Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI Drama

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Artificial is a scripted feature about Sam Altman and the 2023 OpenAI leadership crisis, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Andrew Garfield as Altman. Amazon MGM dropped the film in June 2026; Neon has since acquired worldwide theatrical distribution and announced a 2026 release. The exact release date, trailer and streaming plans were not listed in the official Neon pages reviewed as of August 18, 2026.

What is Artificial about?

Artificial is a dramatized feature centered on the five days in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board removed Sam Altman as CEO and he returned to the company. The story reportedly explores the conflict among Altman, the board and company leadership, including Ilya Sutskever’s role in the upheaval and the pressure that helped bring Altman back. The episode raised larger questions about OpenAI’s governance and the balance between its stated mission and its commercial growth.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray] [2001] [Region Free]	$19.85	Buy on Amazon
2		A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray]	$29.00	Buy on Amazon
3		Artificial Flowers	$29.71	Buy on Amazon

The Guardian describes the film’s subject as the crisis around Altman’s firing and return (The Guardian). Variety reports that the project has been framed as a The Social Network-style drama; that is a comparison in coverage, not an official description of the finished film (Variety).

In the real crisis, OpenAI’s board removed Altman, prompting employee and investor pressure. Microsoft and other stakeholders became involved, and Altman ultimately returned. The feature is not a documentary or a comprehensive history of OpenAI: its reported focus is this particular leadership rupture, not every stage of the company’s development.

#1 Best Overall

A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray] [2001] [Region Free]

• Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk has English audio and subtitles.

$19.85

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Who is in the cast?

Trade coverage has reported the following principal roles. These are reported cast details rather than a complete official cast list.

Variety reported these casting details (Variety). Other names have been associated with the film in some listings, but the sources reviewed here do not establish every supporting actor’s role, so it is safer not to assign one.

Who made the film?

• Director: Luca Guadagnino, whose films include Call Me by Your Name and Challengers.
• Screenwriter: Simon Rich.
• Producer: David Heyman is reported among the producers.

TheWrap’s report on Neon’s acquisition identifies Guadagnino as director (TheWrap); Variety reports Rich’s screenplay and further production details (Variety).

Is the film finished?

When Amazon MGM exited, reporting described filming as complete and the film as nearly finished and in post-production. Test screenings were also reported. That does not establish that the final cut is complete: the sources reviewed do not confirm its final runtime, rating, visual-effects status or post-production schedule. Variety’s account is the basis for the reported status (Variety).

Why did Amazon MGM drop it?

Amazon MGM had been attached to distribute the film. In June 2026 it withdrew, saying the movie would be “better served” by another studio and that it was working with the filmmakers to find a new home, according to TheWrap (TheWrap).

Rank #2

A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray]

$29.00

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The timing drew attention because Amazon had announced a significant business relationship with OpenAI shortly before dropping a film about the company and its CEO. The chronology is reported; a causal link is not established. Amazon did not publicly say that its OpenAI relationship prompted the decision, and OpenAI did not confirm that explanation. The Washington Post covered the resulting questions while reporting Neon’s acquisition (The Washington Post). The timing may invite conflict-of-interest questions, but it is not evidence by itself that Amazon censored the film or acted at OpenAI’s request.

Who distributes it now?

Neon acquired worldwide theatrical distribution after Amazon’s exit. The acquisition means the film was not permanently shelved; it does not mean every country will necessarily receive it at the same time. The Associated Press reported Neon’s deal and its plans for a 2026 release and awards campaign (Associated Press).

An awards campaign signals a release intention, not a publicly confirmed date or guaranteed eligibility. Neon’s current film listings are the relevant official places to check for updates: In Theaters and All Films.

When can you watch Artificial?

Amazon-era reports described a possible awards-qualifying run around Christmas 2026 followed by a wider release in early 2027. Those were earlier plans tied to Amazon, not the current confirmed schedule after Neon took over (Forbes). A festival premiere, a limited qualifying engagement, a general theatrical release and a streaming launch are distinct milestones; none should be inferred from the announced year alone.

For reliable trailer or ticket information, look for an announcement from Neon or an official film account. Fan edits and AI-generated concept trailers are not evidence of footage from the movie.

Rank #3

Artificial Flowers

• Over the course of one tense evening in a Los Angeles high-rise, two troubled writers unravel each other's secrets.

$29.71

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Is it an authorized or accurate account?

The sources reviewed establish that the film is about Altman and that Garfield plays a dramatized version of him. They do not establish that Altman approved the screenplay, advised the production or authorized the portrayal. Nor do they establish that OpenAI made or authorized the film. It is best described as a scripted drama about OpenAI, not an official OpenAI production.

Because it dramatizes real people and events, scenes should not be treated as a historical record. Dialogue may be reconstructed or invented, private conversations may be imagined, and character motives may be simplified to fit the story. The finished film may also differ from early reports about its screenplay. Reported test-screening reactions are not a substitute for the completed film or a settled critical consensus.

Is it the same as The AI Doc or OpenAI’s film projects?

Focus Features’ announcement identifies the separate documentary and its release date (Focus Features). A Tribeca press release describes a separate OpenAI-associated program (Tribeca).

What is still unknown?

• The precise theatrical date and whether a festival screening will come first.
• Whether Neon’s announced 2026 release and awards plans remain unchanged.
• When an official trailer, synopsis and complete cast list will be published.
• Whether the film will have territory-specific release dates or distributors.
• Where and when it will stream, and when any home-entertainment release will follow.
• The final cut’s runtime, rating and other finished-film details.

Neon’s official listings are the most direct place to check for a date or trailer: Neon’s In Theaters page.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray] [2001] [Region Free]

$19.85

Bestseller No. 2

A.I. Artificial Intelligence [Blu-ray]

$29.00

Bestseller No. 3

Artificial Flowers

$29.71

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