In his first comments on the abrupt collapse of his Sam Altman biopic “Artificial,” Luca Guadagnino says he can’t reveal details yet, but insists the film’s focus is a tech oligarchy’s “radical control” over the identity of places like the United States—and th
Luca Guadagnino hasn’t been able to fully explain what happened to “Artificial” since the film’s future was suddenly yanked from the market. But in his first public remarks on the fallout. he made the stakes unmistakable: the story. he says. is about more than artificial intelligence—it’s about who gets to shape reality.
Guadagnino spoke out for the first time on Friday in an interview with the Italian news show “Otto e Mezzo.” He discussed the fallout around his Sam Altman biopic “Artificial. ” a movie that Amazon MGM Studios abruptly dropped. after which other would-be suitors—including Netflix and Focus Features—pulled out of the running. The film, starring Andrew Garfield as OpenAI founder Sam Altman, was nearly complete.
When asked why “the subject of artificial intelligence in today’s America is considered dangerous. ” Guadagnino admitted he “can’t say too much because we are right in the middle of this situation.” Still. he said the core of “Artificial” is what he called the tech oligarchy’s “truly radical control” over “the very identity of places like the United States and the entire world.”.
“What matters most to me is how people are completely changing the face of things — not just society in terms of consumption and how we interact with these tools. but the very identity of places like the United States and the entire world. ” Guadagnino said. “And that is indeed what is happening. Indeed, this small oligarchy — which nonetheless exercises truly radical control — [is central to the story].”.
That language lands differently against the timeline of the deal that brought the project this far. Amazon MGM had developed the $40 million drama. and on June 19 the studio announced it would not move forward with a planned early 2027 release. with a possible SXSW premiere next spring. After that announcement, CAA Media Finance—which represents Guadagnino—screened the film for potential new distributors. Mubi and Neon were reportedly among the distributors interested.
The commercial reversal adds to the tension because Amazon MGM’s decision came months after the company made a $50 billion investment in OpenAI as part of a cloud computing partnership. The studio denied that the film’s subject matter and tone—said to feature a caustic portrayal of CEO Altman by lead star Garfield—had anything to do with its move.
In the same “Otto e Mezzo” interview. Guadagnino pointed to another thread he wanted “Artificial” to capture: the sharp wealth gap visible in the United States. particularly in San Francisco. where part of the film was shot. He described the city as “a wonderful city,” known to audiences as the place where Alfred Hitchcock filmed his work.
But he focused on its contradictions. “The city presented extraordinary contrasts: a place of great beauty but also of deep despair. with so many homeless people — so many living under the influence of fentanyl — while these wonderful. silent. self-driving cars glided right past them. To me, that right there is the perfect image to describe the theme; it is the perfect image.”.
He also offered a careful kind of hope that the movie could still find a landing spot. Guadagnino pointed to the 2003 cancellation of “The Reagans” at CBS after pressure from the Republican Party—then added that it eventually aired elsewhere on a smaller channel.
“These are industrial-political issues — and not for the first time,” he said. “I read a great article yesterday recalling how, back in 2003, CBS canceled a major drama about the Reagans due to pressure from Republicans — it was actually cancelled, only to air later on a smaller channel.”
He then narrowed his focus on what he believes is at the heart of the debate. “To me. the issue isn’t artificial intelligence itself — that is. the application or tool used to generate ‘knowledge products’ or expressive content. like research. videos. or images. ” Guadagnino said. “From one perspective. it’s just a technological gadget — and not a particularly sophisticated one. at that; it’s full of flaws. though it will likely improve over time.”.
Guadagnino said that scientists developing artificial general intelligence believe it could eventually become independently sentient, even though he described today’s version as “little more than computing data scraped from everywhere, consuming vast amounts of energy and water.”
Between Amazon MGM’s $40 million development and its June 19 decision to stop “Artificial” from reaching its early 2027 release. the film’s fate has become a loud. unresolved question. Guadagnino’s answer—measured. unfinished. and pointed—draws attention to control. identity. and the political forces that can decide what stories get to be seen. For now, he can’t say more about what comes next. But “Artificial,” nearly complete and searching for a distributor, is not going quietly.
Luca Guadagnino Artificial Sam Altman biopic Andrew Garfield Amazon MGM Netflix Focus Features SXSW OpenAI San Francisco tech oligarchy Artificial intelligence
So basically Hollywood got scared and cancelled it? wild.
I didn’t even know this movie existed until now. If it was “nearly complete” how does it just vanish like that? Sounds like somebody paid Amazon to squash it or something.
Wait, I thought “Artificial” was about actual robots, not Sam Altman?? Like the whole point went over my head. Also “tech oligarchy” is such a vague phrase, but I guess it means rich people controlling apps? Not sure why Amazon MGM would drop it then.
Bro “can’t reveal details yet” is the most convenient thing ever. So he wants us to believe there’s some shadow control over the identity of America… but then he won’t say what actually happened with the release. It’s giving PR spin. Also Netflix pulled out too? That part makes it feel like some contract/rights issue, not some big conspiracy about “shaping reality.”