With “Sgt. Rock” now pushed back, maybe even outright canceled, Luca Guadagnino isn’t wasting time. The filmmaker is in talks to direct “Artificial” for Amazon MGM Studios—a new project described as a comedic drama set within the world of artificial intelligence.
According to Deadline‘s sources, Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, and “Anora” breakout Yura Borisov are in early discussions to star. The script comes from Simon Rich, a “Saturday Night Live” writing veteran.
Meanwhile, THR reports that the film will be a dramatization of the chaotic 2022-2023 power struggle at AI company OpenAI, while ChatGPT was being launched, during which CEO Sam Altman was abruptly ousted and then swiftly reinstated within days.
The film would continue Guadagnino’s recent collaboration streak with Amazon MGM, following “Challengers” (2024) and the upcoming “After the Hunt,” due in theaters this October.
Artificial found its way to Guadagnino after production on “Sgt. Rock”—the DC Studios film starring Colin Farrell—was scrapped. Rather than wait it out, the director began scouting for a new project he could turn around quickly, ultimately landing on “Artificial.” If all deals close in time, the aim is to shoot this summer in Italy.
This would mark another step in Guadagnino’s genre-hopping run—moving from romance to horror, thriller to comedy-drama, now with an AI, possibly sci-fi twist.
What this tells me is that Guadagnino’s other projects in development, which include “Separate Rooms,” “American Psycho,” and “Lord of the Flies,” are not in good enough shape to head into production, just yet.
Guadagnino’s hot these days, and he’s built an eclectic filmography with such titles as “I Am Love,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “A Bigger Splash,” “Suspiria,” “Challengers,” and “Queer.”
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.