Artificial, the new film about OpenAI’s 2023 boardroom crisis, had its world premiere at the 2026 New York Film Festival on Monday, with Andrew Garfield stepping onto the red carpet as Sam Altman. The Luca Guadagnino-directed drama drew glowing early reactions from critics after months of off-screen drama of its own.
Garfield, 43, was joined at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center by co-stars Yura Borisov, Ike Barinholtz, Jason Schwartzman, Billie Lourd and Cooper Hoffman, alongside Guadagnino and screenwriter Simon Rich. The premiere was followed by a question-and-answer session with the cast and filmmakers.
The Story Behind the Film
Artificial dramatizes five days in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board fired chief executive Sam Altman — only to reinstate him days later. Garfield plays Altman, Borisov plays chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who led the ouster, Monica Barbaro plays technology chief Mira Murati, and Barinholtz portrays Elon Musk.
The film was originally financed by Amazon MGM Studios, which dropped the nearly-finished project in June. No reason was given, though the move came months after Amazon announced a $50 billion partnership with OpenAI. Netflix, A24 and Focus Features also passed before independent studio Neon acquired the global rights.
Glowing First Reactions
Early reviews from the premiere were enthusiastic. The film holds a 92 per cent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to early aggregates. Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman praised its power, writing that AI “comes alive as a subject” in the film, which he called at once inspiring and deeply chilling. The Hollywood Reporter‘s David Rooney ranked it among Guadagnino’s best work, while Deadline‘s Pete Hammond singled out Garfield’s “stunning” performance.
Speaking on the red carpet, Garfield said filming the drama had left him wanting to shine the light “as bright as possible at the nooks and crannies of people we’re giving all of our autonomy and power to.” The actor reportedly studied online footage of Altman for two to three months to prepare for the role.
Release Plans
Neon will open Artificial in select US theatres on December 25, 2026, with a wider release following in January. The film is also expected to play the London Film Festival. It is Guadagnino’s fifth film to screen at the New York festival, after Call Me by Your Name, Bones and All, Queer and last year’s opener After the Hunt.
FAKTA
- Artificial stars Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and dramatizes the November 2023 boardroom crisis.
- The world premiere took place on 5 October 2026 at the New York Film Festival’s Alice Tully Hall.
- Amazon MGM Studios financed the film but dropped it in June; Neon acquired the global rights.
- Early reviews are glowing, with a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Neon will release the film in select US theatres on December 25, 2026, with a wider rollout in January.
What Comes Next
With awards season approaching, the industry will be watching whether Artificial — a film about the people building artificial intelligence, made while the technology reshapes Hollywood itself — can turn festival buzz into box-office and awards success.
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