Amazon kills OpenAI film after $50B Altman deal

Key Takeaways

• Amazon MGM Studios has dropped 'Artificial,' a nearly finished film about Sam Altman's 2023 firing from OpenAI
• The decision came months after Amazon announced a $50 billion investment partnership with OpenAI
• The film reportedly portrays both Altman and Elon Musk unfavorably, and Altman has a personal relationship with Jeff Bezos

Amazon MGM Studios has shelved 'Artificial,' a drama film about Sam Altman's chaotic firing and return to OpenAI in November 2023. The movie was nearly complete. Director Luca Guadagnino had Andrew Garfield playing Altman. Now the studio is shopping it to competitors.

The timing is difficult to ignore. In February, Amazon announced a $50 billion partnership with OpenAI. Four months later, a film that reportedly makes the OpenAI CEO look bad gets quietly dropped.

An Amazon spokesperson offered only that the company has "great respect for Guadagnino but believes the film would be a better fit at another studio." No further explanation.

What was the film about?

'Artificial' dramatized one of Silicon Valley's most bizarre corporate coups. In November 2023, OpenAI's board abruptly fired Altman without public explanation. What followed was five days of chaos: Microsoft offered to hire Altman and most of OpenAI's staff, over 700 employees signed a letter demanding the board resign, and more than 95% of the workforce threatened to quit unless Altman returned.

The board capitulated. Altman walked back into OpenAI as CEO. The drama had everything: betrayal, corporate intrigue, mass employee revolt, billion-dollar stakes. It was catnip for Hollywood.

Guadagnino, who directed 'Call Me By Your Name' and 'Challengers,' brought prestige credentials. Andrew Garfield is a two-time Oscar nominee. This wasn't a rushed streaming documentary. It was a serious production.

Why did Amazon drop it now?

Variety reports that both Altman and Elon Musk come off poorly in the film, according to an insider. That detail matters because Altman and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have a personal relationship.

Amazon didn't cite the $50 billion OpenAI deal. It didn't mention the Bezos-Altman friendship. It gave no official reason at all. But the sequence of events speaks loudly enough.

A $50 billion partnership creates obvious incentives. If your business partner's $157 billion company is about to become even more central to your AI strategy, you probably don't want to release a film that embarrasses him.

What happens to the film?

The movie is being shopped to other studios. It's nearly finished, which means the production costs are already sunk. Another distributor could pick it up without paying for most of the filmmaking.

Whether anyone will bite is another question. Netflix, Apple TV+, and other streamers compete fiercely for prestige content. But they also have their own AI partnerships and relationships with OpenAI. The same calculation that pushed Amazon out could give others pause.

The censorship question

No government forced Amazon's hand. No law prevented the release. This is softer than traditional censorship, which is precisely what makes it worth examining.

When business relationships quietly kill creative projects, there's no public debate. No one files a lawsuit. The film just disappears, and most people never know it existed.

Hollywood has always navigated studio pressure and advertiser sensitivities. But the concentration of power in tech creates new dynamics. Amazon is simultaneously a film studio, a cloud provider, an AI investor, and a retail giant. When those interests conflict, which one wins?

In this case, a $50 billion partnership apparently outweighed a completed prestige film. That's a data point worth remembering as tech companies continue expanding into entertainment.

“We have great respect for Luca Guadagnino but believe the film would be a better fit at another studio.”

— Amazon spokesperson

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Amazon drop the OpenAI film?

Amazon gave no official reason, but the decision came after a $50 billion partnership with OpenAI. The film reportedly portrays Sam Altman unfavorably, and Altman has a personal relationship with Jeff Bezos.

Who was cast in the OpenAI drama 'Artificial'?

Andrew Garfield was set to play Sam Altman. The film was directed by Luca Guadagnino, known for 'Call Me By Your Name' and 'Challengers.'

What was the OpenAI firing drama in 2023?

In November 2023, OpenAI's board fired Sam Altman without public explanation. Over 700 employees demanded the board resign, and 95%+ threatened to quit. Altman was reinstated after five days.

Will the 'Artificial' movie still be released?

The nearly finished film is being shopped to other studios. Whether another distributor will pick it up remains uncertain given similar business considerations.

Source: The Decoder / Matthias Bastian