Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial,’ Casts Ike Barinholtz As Elon Musk
Hollywood is gearing up for a bold new cinematic venture that dives into the chaotic world of artificial intelligence, with Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial set to bring the dramatic 2023 saga of OpenAI to the big screen. The film, backed by Amazon MGM Studios, has generated significant buzz with its star-studded cast, including Ike Barinholtz as tech titan Elon Musk and Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. This comedic drama promises to unpack the high-stakes drama of Silicon Valley with a sharp, satirical edge, and its casting choices are already sparking conversation.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, known for his visually stunning and emotionally layered films like Call Me by Your Name and Challengers, Artificial is poised to explore the tumultuous period in 2023 when Sam Altman was briefly fired and then swiftly rehired as CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The screenplay, penned by Simon Rich, a humorist and former Pixar writer, is described as a “comedic drama” that doesn’t shy away from critiquing the reckless culture surrounding AI’s commercialization. According to industry reports, the film will focus on the internal power struggles and broader implications for AI’s future, with a particular spotlight on OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, played by Oscar-nominated Anora star Yura Borisov.
Ike Barinholtz, fresh off an Emmy nomination for his role in Apple TV+’s Hollywood satire The Studio, is an inspired choice to portray Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and former OpenAI co-founder. Musk, who left the company in 2018 after disagreements over its direction, is depicted in the script as a “minor character” and a source of comic relief, often preoccupied with his malfunctioning self-driving Tesla rather than the existential risks of AI. One particularly cheeky line from the script, delivered by Monica Barbaro as OpenAI’s former CTO Mira Murati, quips, “Elon’s not so bad, as far as dictators go.” Barinholtz’s comedic chops and knack for satire, honed in projects like The Mindy Project and Blockers, make him a fitting pick to bring this larger-than-life figure to the screen with a humorous yet biting edge. However, given Musk’s polarizing persona and his vocal criticisms of OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit model, this portrayal is likely to stir controversy.
Andrew Garfield, meanwhile, steps into the role of Sam Altman, the embattled CEO at the heart of OpenAI’s 2023 boardroom drama. Garfield, no stranger to portraying complex figures in tech-driven narratives (he played Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network), is expected to bring depth to Altman, who is described in the script as a “liar and master schemer.” The story reportedly paints Altman as a power-hungry figure, contrasting with the idealistic Sutskever, who is “leveraged, marginalized, and ultimately betrayed” by both Altman and the broader Silicon Valley community. Garfield’s ability to navigate morally ambiguous characters will likely make this a standout performance, especially under Guadagnino’s nuanced direction.
The ensemble cast also includes Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati, who briefly served as OpenAI’s interim CEO during Altman’s ousting, and Cooper Koch in an undisclosed role. The film’s narrative, centered on the five-day period of Altman’s firing and rehiring, is poised to draw parallels to David Fincher’s The Social Network, offering a sharp critique of tech industry hubris while blending humor and high-stakes drama. Industry insider Matthew Belloni, who reviewed an early draft of the script, suggests that Artificial could be an “AI time bomb,” potentially ruffling feathers among tech moguls like Musk and Altman. The film’s depiction of Silicon Valley’s heavy hitters, combined with its $40 million budget and Amazon’s backing, positions it as a major player in the growing genre of tech takedown films.
Production for Artificial has already begun in Italy, with additional shooting planned in San Francisco, and a release is targeted for 2026. Amazon’s involvement is particularly intriguing, given its complex relationship with OpenAI as both a rival (through its investment in Anthropic) and a partner (via AWS Bedrock). This meta layer adds another dimension to the project, as the studio navigates its own role in the AI landscape while producing a film that critiques it.
As AI continues to shape the global landscape, Artificial arrives at a pivotal moment, offering a satirical lens on the personalities and power struggles driving the industry. With Barinholtz’s comedic flair, Garfield’s dramatic heft, and Guadagnino’s auteur vision, the film is shaping up to be a provocative addition to the tech drama canon. Whether it will spark the same cultural impact as The Social Network remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Artificial is ready to ignite discourse when it hits theaters in 2026.