ARTIFICIAL: Andrew Garfield Leads Luca Guadagnino’s New AI Drama Arriving Christmas Day

What happens when the people building the future suddenly find themselves at the center of a corporate crisis?

The official teaser trailer for ARTIFICIAL has arrived, offering a first look at director Luca Guadagnino’s comedic drama about artificial intelligence, corporate power and one of the most extraordinary moments in the modern tech industry.

Starring Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman and Mark Rylance, the film dramatizes the events surrounding the extraordinary 2023 leadership crisis at OpenAI, when CEO Sam Altman was fired and then returned to the company only days later.

A Comedy-Drama About the People Behind Artificial Intelligence

While artificial intelligence has become one of the defining technological developments of the 21st century, ARTIFICIAL appears less interested in the technology itself than in the people attempting to control it.

The film takes audiences inside the world of AI during a period when the future of one of the industry’s most influential companies suddenly became uncertain.

At the center is Sam Altman, portrayed by Andrew Garfield, whose abrupt removal as CEO of OpenAI in November 2023 triggered a dramatic chain of events.

Within days, Altman was back.

That real-life sequence of events was already filled with corporate intrigue, competing personalities and enormous questions about the future of artificial intelligence. Guadagnino and writer Simon Rich are now turning that remarkable period into a feature film.

Andrew Garfield Plays Sam Altman

Andrew Garfield takes on the role of Sam Altman, the technology executive at the center of the story.

It’s an intriguing casting choice for Garfield, particularly given that the material combines corporate drama with comedy.

Rather than presenting the story as a straightforward technology biopic, ARTIFICIAL appears positioned as a character-driven look at the personalities, ambitions and conflicts that emerged during a pivotal moment in the AI industry.

Yura Borisov Plays Ilya Sutskever

Yura Borisov portrays Ilya Sutskever, one of the central figures connected to the events depicted in the film.

Borisov’s international profile has continued to rise following his acclaimed performance in Anora, and his involvement gives the movie another compelling performer opposite Garfield.

The relationship between Altman and Sutskever could become one of the film’s key dramatic threads.

Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati

Monica Barbaro portrays Mira Murati, another major figure in the OpenAI story.

Murati’s position within the company’s leadership made her an important participant during the turbulent period, and the film places her among the principal characters navigating the rapidly changing situation.

Luca Guadagnino Takes on Silicon Valley

At the helm is acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, whose filmography has covered everything from romance and psychological drama to horror and coming-of-age stories.

ARTIFICIAL gives him a very different setting: Silicon Valley, corporate politics and the rapidly evolving world of AI.

Guadagnino directs from a screenplay by Simon Rich, known for his distinctive comedic writing.

That combination suggests that ARTIFICIAL could balance serious questions about technology and corporate responsibility with a sharply comic perspective on the people making decisions behind closed doors.

An Extraordinary True-Life Backdrop

The film draws from the extraordinary events of 2023, when OpenAI experienced an unprecedented leadership upheaval.

Sam Altman was removed as CEO, setting off a period of uncertainty involving the company’s employees, board and leadership.

The situation evolved rapidly, ultimately resulting in Altman’s return.

For a movie, it’s almost an unusually perfect premise: a major technology company suddenly thrown into chaos, billions of dollars and the future of AI hanging over the proceedings, and executives attempting to figure out what happens next.

The Cast of ARTIFICIAL

Alongside Garfield, Borisov and Barbaro, the film features an impressive ensemble cast including:

• Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman
• Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever
• Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati
• Ike Barinholtz
• Cooper Hoffman
• Jason Schwartzman
• Mark Rylance
• Chris O’Dowd
• Cooper Koch
• Billie Lourd

The combination of dramatic performers and established comedic talent should allow the film to explore both the serious and absurd sides of its real-world story.

Why ARTIFICIAL Could Be One of the Year’s Most Interesting Films

AI has become such a major part of everyday conversation that it’s almost inevitable that Hollywood would eventually begin dramatizing the people and events behind the technology.

What makes ARTIFICIAL particularly interesting is its timing.

Instead of looking decades into the future, the film focuses on a very recent event that already feels like a turning point in the history of artificial intelligence.

And because the story involves real people rather than fictional robots taking over the world, the potential for corporate intrigue, interpersonal conflict and dark comedy could be far more compelling than a conventional technology thriller.

ARTIFICIAL Release Date

ARTIFICIAL arrives in select theatres on Christmas Day, December 25, 2026.

With Luca Guadagnino behind the camera, Simon Rich writing the screenplay and Andrew Garfield leading an impressive ensemble, the film could offer a fascinating—and entertaining—look at one of the most chaotic moments in the history of artificial intelligence.

ARTIFICIAL

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writer: Simon Rich
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Rylance, Chris O’Dowd, Cooper Koch and Billie Lourd
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Release: December 25, 2026 — Select Theatres

The future of AI may be artificial. The chaos behind it was very real.