The first teaser trailer for Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial has arrived, offering a dramatic look at the chaotic events surrounding OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, the film dives into the high-stakes artificial intelligence arms race, the launch of ChatGPT, and the brief but explosive firing of Altman in November 2023.

A Darker Look at the Tech Boom The teaser trailer presents a chilling, almost ghost-story-like tone for the origin of ChatGPT. In the footage, Garfield’s Altman is seen navigating a lavish mansion before entering a blue-lit bunker filled with assault rifles. Against an ominous electronic score, he reflects on the immense consequences of the technology, declaring that the future is inevitable, industries will collapse, and “we get to be the ones to shepherd people into this new world”. The trailer emphasizes the idea that Pandora’s box has officially been opened, hinting at the potential societal damage stemming from the rapid release of artificial intelligence.

The Battle for Control Artificial is set against the backdrop of one of the most dramatic chapters in recent technological history. In November 2023, Altman was abruptly removed as CEO by the OpenAI board, who cited a lack of consistent honesty in his communications, only to be reinstated a mere five days later. The film will explore these pivotal days and the broader fight over who gets to control this revolutionary software.

The Cast and Crew Directed by Guadagnino and written by Simon Rich, the film features a notable ensemble portraying key figures in the AI landscape:

• Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
• Ike Barinholtz as co-founder Elon Musk.
• Yura Borisov as former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever.
• Monica Barbaro as former OpenAI CTO (and brief interim CEO) Mira Murati.
• Mark Rylance as Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton.
• Supporting actors include Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Hoffman, Chris O’Dowd, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Koch, and Billie Lourd.

Production Controversies and Release Artificial has experienced its own behind-the-scenes corporate friction. Originally produced by Amazon MGM Studios with a reported $40 million budget, the studio dropped the film shortly after announcing a massive $50 billion investment partnership with OpenAI. Neon subsequently acquired the distribution rights in June 2026. Artificial is scheduled to have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival in October 2026, followed by a US theatrical release on Christmas Day.