Amazon MGM is dropping the Altman biopic — the deal with OpenAI turned out to be more expensive.
Amazon MGM Studios has made an unexpected yet strategically understandable decision — to abandon the release of the film "Artificial" directed by Luca Guadagnino. The film was set to depict the dramatic events of November 2023, when OpenAI's board of directors fired Sam Altman, only to reinstate him as CEO five days later under pressure from investors and employees.
Cinematic drama gave way to a real deal
Amazon MGM's official statement: the film "would be better suited for release by another studio." The studio is now actively seeking a "new home" for the project. However, behind this decision lies not creative, but purely financial logic.
Just three months ago, Amazon announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI, under which the company invested a colossal $50 billion in the ChatGPT developer. Releasing a film that could portray OpenAI's leadership in an ambiguous light — focusing on internal strife, power struggles, and instability — would have been a direct blow to the partner's image.
My analysis
This is a classic example of a conflict of interest in an era when Big Tech controls not only technology but also content. Amazon is making a pragmatic choice: $50 billion in AI investments are worth more than any biopic, even from a master like Guadagnino. The film's fate now lies in the hands of studios unaffiliated with OpenAI — but even they will think twice before risking relationships with the future leader of the industry.