Mubi emerges as front-runner for Luca Guadagnino’s 'Artificial' After Netflix, A24 and Focus Pass

Netflix, A24 and Focus Features have all passed on acquiring the film based on Sam Altman after Amazon dropped it

Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial is still searching for a distributor after Amazon MGM dropped the project, but several major players have now stepped away, leaving Mubi as the most likely home for the filmmaker’s Sam Altman drama.

According to Variety, Netflix, A24 and Focus Features have all passed on acquiring the film, despite screening the nearly completed project. Mubi, however, remains in discussions and has emerged as the leading contender to pick up the rights to the movie, which stars Andrew Garfield as OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

Written by Simon Rich and directed by Guadagnino, Artificial dramatises the events surrounding Altman's brief removal from OpenAI in November 2023 and his rapid return to the company days later. The cast also includes Monica Barbaro as former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati, Yura Borisov as co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk.

Amazon MGM had originally backed the film but unexpectedly abandoned it earlier this month, despite the project being deep into post-production. Producers have since been seeking a new distributor, with several studios and streamers reviewing the film.

Amazon's decision came shortly after its parent company strengthened its relationship with OpenAI through a multibillion-dollar investment and expanded partnership with the artificial intelligence company. Although Amazon has denied any connection between those developments and its decision to drop the film, the timing has prompted speculation across Hollywood.

Guadagnino, whose recent credits include Challengers and After the Hunt, was reportedly caught off guard by Amazon's move after receiving strong support from the studio throughout production. The film, which reportedly cost around $40 million to make, has already undergone test screenings and had initially been earmarked for an awards-season release before a wider launch in early 2027.

With Netflix, A24 and Focus now out of the running, Mubi appears to be in pole position to rescue one of the industry's most talked-about projects. A deal has yet to be finalised, but producers remain hopeful that Artificial will soon secure a new home.