Director Luca Guadagnino’s film Artificial, starring Andrew Garfield as OpenAI chief Sam Altman, has released its first teaser trailer, offering an intentionally eerie glimpse of the biopic that examines a prominent figure in artificial intelligence.
The short preview has been described by outlets and social commentators as creepy and stylised, setting a moody tone ahead of the picture’s festival debut. Neon has acquired U.S. release rights and plans to premiere the film at the New York Film Festival in October, with a wide opening scheduled for December 25.
The project drew industry attention earlier this year when Amazon MGM Studios — which had been attached to distribute — dropped the film in June. That decision came amid Amazon’s partnership with OpenAI, a connection that prompted questions about conflicts and the commercial handling of a work dramatizing a tech executive closely associated with the company.
Neon’s pickup of Artificial follows that fallout and positions the film for a high-profile holiday release and awards-season visibility. The teaser’s tone and the story’s ties to Silicon Valley have already sparked conversation about how Hollywood portrays contemporary technology leaders and the ethical and cultural implications of dramatizing living figures tied to fast-moving fields.
As release approaches, audiences and critics will be watching both the film’s creative choices and the broader conversation it may provoke about the relationship between big tech and popular culture. Guadagnino, known for his distinct visual style, brings a headline-making subject to the screen at a time when scrutiny of technology companies and their leaders is high.