Neon Acquires Luca Guadagnino’s Film ‘Artificial’ from Amazon

Neon, an indie film distributor, has secured the rights to Luca Guadagnino’s film Artificial, after Amazon MGM Studios decided to drop the project. This decision followed a competitive bidding process, Neon announced on Tuesday. The film, nearing completion and with a budget of $40 million, features Andrew Garfield portraying Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.

Amazon’s unexpected decision to part ways with the film occurred soon after it made a substantial $50 billion investment in OpenAI. The tech giant stated that Artificial would achieve better success under a different distributor. Neon plans to release the movie within the year, aiming for a spot in the Oscars race.

The narrative of Artificial revolves around the events leading up to the 2023 dismissal and subsequent reinstatement of Altman as head of OpenAI. The cast includes Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, and Oscar recipient Mark Rylance. Ike Barinholtz plays the role of Elon Musk.

Earlier in the year, Amazon entered into a comprehensive multiyear agreement with the artificial intelligence firm. However, Amazon MGM recently offered the film for sale to locate a suitable distributor.

Neon is renowned for its success in award seasons, with hits like Parasite and Anora. The label has been associated with the last seven Palme d’Or winners at Cannes. Although Neon has not disclosed the financial details of the deal, the acquisition highlights the studio’s dedication to collaborating with innovative filmmakers and distributing ambitious films globally.