Guadagnino's 'Artificial' Premieres to Rave Reviews at NYFF — SkimNews
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- "Artificial" premiered at the New York Film Festival on Monday, with early reviews from critics including Variety's Clayton Davis calling it Guadagnino's "best film in a decade" and Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia describing it as "provocative, engaging, and downright horrifying."
- Andrew Garfield stars as Sam Altman in the film, which dramatizes OpenAI CEO's 2023 firing and rehiring; Variety's Eric Kohn called the performance a "fun/scary ride" that "walks a fine line between movie monster, buffoonish mogul, and evil genius."
- Neon completed a deal in June to finish the $40 million film after Amazon MGM Studios dropped the project following its $50 billion partnership with OpenAI.
- Sam Altman told Vanity Fair he encountered Garfield filming near his house, saying the actor "did walk like me" and left him feeling he was in "some weird glitch of the simulation."
- Guadagnino told Vulture he wasn't "afraid" of Altman's response, arguing that "people that have a lot of power should be very much aware that you must be responsible for the community."
- Neon's awards campaign will run Garfield and Mark Rylance in supporting actor and Yura Borisov in lead actor, with the film opening in theaters on Christmas Day.
Why it matters: Amazon MGM dropped 'Artificial' after signing a $50 billion OpenAI partnership, leaving Neon to complete the $40 million production — a back-story that itself enacts the corporate capitulation the film depicts, while Neon's Christmas Day release and lead/supporting campaign positioning will determine whether rave reviews translate to box office and awards traction.
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