Amazon drops OpenAI film after $50B deal

What happened

Amazon MGM Studios has dropped "Artificial," a film by director Luca Guadagnino about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, despite the movie being nearly finished. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and covers his brief firing from OpenAI in November 2023. Amazon said it respects Guadagnino but believes the film would be a better fit elsewhere, and it is now being shopped around.

Why it matters

The timing invites scrutiny—Amazon struck a partnership with OpenAI in February that includes a $50 billion（約8兆円） investment. An insider reported that both Altman and Elon Musk are portrayed poorly in the film, and Altman and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have a personal relationship. If business ties drove the decision to shelve the project, it may demonstrate how commercial partnerships and personal friendships in tech can indirectly limit what stories get told.

What to watch

The film is now being shopped to other studios, so its ultimate release remains uncertain. The case illustrates a subtler form of influence over creative output—one that operates through financial incentive rather than direct censorship.