Here’s an interesting Vulture piece on the behind-the-scenes chaos surrounding Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial.” It questions whether Amazon/MGM actually shelved the film because of its AI ties—or whether its quality was ultimately what did it in.
On Tuesday, Neon announced it had picked up Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial.” While the acquisition price remained undisclosed, I had reported that Neon acquired the $50M film for more than $20M, and Vulture confirms the studio got it for a “subsidized price.”
Prior to all that, Amazon/MGM had “extensively test screened” “Artificial,” which is in the final stages of post-production, and had planned to premiere it at the SXSW Film Festival next March—not exactly the glowiest showcase for a supposed Oscar contender.
Two studio executives who attended buyers screenings told Vulture they were informed that “Bezos wasn’t going to release it,” seemingly confirming that the call to deep-six the film came from the top.
Then again, according to two sources with knowledge of the film’s development, the narrative that Guadagnino had been done dirty by Amazon may not be the whole story. Apparently, “systemic filmmaking problems” plagued the production.
Guadagnino reportedly went way over budget, and extensive reshoots were ordered. “There were all sorts of disasters,” one source told the outlet.
About half the people interviewed dismissed the notion that it was the film’s depiction of Sam Altman that had Amazon panicking. “If the movie was a masterpiece,” they pointed out, “there would have been a bidding war. Instead, one source said it “lacked theater-worthy criteria” and felt “more of a streaming movie than a theatrical play.”
Of course, it’s still possible that the film’s quality wasn’t the only reason Amazon pulled the plug on it, and we may never know the full story. But whenever—and wherever—“Artificial” finally screens, whether later this year or next, there will no doubt be plenty of debate over whether the film truly deserved the treatment it received.
Coppola has described “Glimpses” as a “strange 30s-style musical.” No cast has been announced. The film is a loose adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel, “inspired” by Leo McCarey’s “The Awful Truth.”