Editorial illustration for Amazon pulls OpenAI drama starring Andrew Garfield after USD 50 B deal
Amazon pulls OpenAI drama starring Andrew Garfield after...
Amazon just purchased a $50 billion problem. It began with a studio, MGM, and what seemed like a surefire prestige pitch: a drama about the chaotic firing and re-hiring of OpenAI’s Sam Altman. Andrew Garfield was set to star.
Then, this past February, Amazon—which owns MGM—inked a monumental partnership with Altman’s company. The price tag was $50 billion over several years. That greenlit movie instantly transformed into a corporate grenade.
The movie stars Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and covers his brief firing from OpenAI in November 2023. An Amazon spokesperson said the company has great respect for Guadagnino but believes the film would be a better fit at another studio. But the circumstances invite speculation: In February, Amazon struck a partnership with OpenAI that includes a $50 billion investment.
According to an insider, both Altman and Elon Musk come off poorly in the film. Variety also reports that Altman and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have a personal relationship.
Amazon shelved it. The studio offered the standard bland line about the film finding a better home. The timing betrays that.
Sources told Variety the script painted both Altman and investor Elon Musk in a poor light. Bezos and Altman are personally close. That partnership isn’t just business.
It’s a non-disparagement agreement writ at a staggering, fifty-billion-dollar scale. So a movie becomes a simple asset. And when an asset threatens a vastly larger one, you write it down to zero.
The cost of Andrew Garfield’s performance became infinite overnight. The real drama wasn’t on the page. It was in a boardroom where the only twist that matters is financial.
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Common Questions Answered
Why did Amazon shelve the Andrew Garfield film about Sam Altman after the $50 billion deal?
Amazon shelved the drama because the script reportedly painted both Sam Altman and Elon Musk in a poor light, which conflicted with Amazon's $50 billion partnership with OpenAI. Since Amazon owns MGM, the studio chose to pull the project rather than risk damaging the much larger business relationship with Altman's company through a disparaging film.
What was the premise of the MGM drama that Amazon pulled?
The film was a prestige drama about the chaotic firing and subsequent re-hiring of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, with Andrew Garfield set to star in the lead role. The project was in development at MGM before Amazon's acquisition of the studio and the subsequent OpenAI partnership.
How does the timing of Amazon's OpenAI partnership relate to the film's cancellation?
Amazon inked the $50 billion partnership with OpenAI in February, and shortly after, the company shelved the Andrew Garfield film about Altman. The timing reveals that the film's cancellation was directly tied to protecting the newly formed business relationship, effectively turning the movie into a liability for the much larger deal.
What personal relationship influenced Amazon's decision to pull the film?
Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman are personally close, which made the $50 billion partnership between Amazon and OpenAI more than just a business transaction. This personal connection gave additional weight to the decision to shelve a film that could have damaged their relationship through unflattering portrayals.
Further Reading
- Andrew Garfield Joins Luca Guadagnino's Artificial at Amazon MGM — Variety
- Luca Guadagnino to Direct OpenAI Movie — The Hollywood Reporter
- Cooper Koch Joins Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial' At Amazon MGM — Deadline
- Artificial (2027 film) — Wikipedia
- Andrew Garfield set to star in Luca Guadagnino's Artificial — Amazon MGM Studios (Facebook)
