The first official teaser trailer for “Artificial” has arrived, with Andrew Garfield playing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming drama about the rise of artificial intelligence and the power struggle that shook OpenAI.
The teaser, released on September 8, gives only a brief look at the story, but its dark tone makes the direction clear. Garfield’s Altman speaks about ChatGPT, the future of artificial intelligence, and the enormous consequences of building technology that can reshape entire industries.
- Release date: December 25, 2026, in select U.S. theaters, followed by a wider theatrical release in January 2027.
- World premiere: October 5, 2026, at the New York Film Festival.
- Runtime: 140 minutes.
- Cast: Andrew Garfield plays Sam Altman, Yura Borisov plays Ilya Sutskever, Monica Barbaro plays Mira Murati, Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk, and Mark Rylance plays AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton.
What happens in the Artificial teaser?
Minor spoilers for the teaser ahead.
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The trailer follows Garfield’s Altman as he enters a secluded property and eventually reaches a hidden area containing rows of weapons behind glass. His voiceover talks about creating a machine capable of solving major problems before warning about the disruption AI could bring to countries and industries.
That imagery gives “Artificial” an uneasy tone and shows that the movie will focus heavily on the people, fears, and ambitions surrounding AI development.
The story begins much earlier than OpenAI’s 2023 leadership crisis. The film traces roughly two decades of machine-learning history, including Ilya Sutskever’s work under Geoffrey Hinton and his eventual connection with Altman.
Artificial focuses on Sam Altman’s firing from OpenAI
The central conflict comes from November 2023, when OpenAI’s board suddenly removed Altman as CEO. The company went through several days of uncertainty before Altman returned to the position five days later.
“Artificial” dramatizes that internal fight while exploring the people controlling one of the most influential AI companies in the world.
Yura Borisov’s Ilya Sutskever is expected to play a major role in that story, while Monica Barbaro appears as former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The supporting cast also includes Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Koch, and Billie Lourd.
Guadagnino directed the film from a screenplay by Simon Rich, while Damon Albarn composed its original music and score.
“Artificial” arrives in select theaters this Christmas before expanding in January 2027. What do you think of Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, and are you planning to watch the movie? Let us know in the comments.
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