rights
After Other Studios Bend the Knee, Neon Acquires Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman Teardown
By Mathew Rodriguez at them.
· July 1, 2026
· 2 min read
Neon, the studio behind best picture winner Anora, has officially acquired global rights to Luca Guadagnino’s film Artificial, per Deadline. Written by Saturday Night Live alum Simon Rich, the film tells the story of the abrupt firing and rehiring of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI. The film, which star
Key takeaway Amazon unceremoniously dropped the film after the megacorporation invested $50 billion in Altman’s artificial intelligence company.
Why this matters
The acquisition of Artificial by Neon highlights the complexities of artistic freedom and corporate interests in the film industry. The fact that several major studios, including Amazon, passed on the project due to its depiction of Sam Altman and Elon Musk suggests that the film's content may be seen as too controversial or risky for some distributors. Neon's decision to acquire the film, on the other hand, demonstrates the studio's commitment to showcasing bold and potentially provocative storytelling. As a studio that has previously pushed boundaries with films like Parasite and Titane, Neon may be well-positioned to handle the potential backlash or controversy surrounding Artificial. The film's release will likely be closely watched, particularly given its connection to the LGBTQ+ community through director Luca Guadagnino, who has previously explored queer themes in his work.
About this story
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Category: rights ·
Published: July 1, 2026 ·
Source: them. ·
Reading time: 2 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Neon, the studio behind best picture winner Anora, has officially acquired global rights to Luca Guadagnino’s film Artificial, per Deadline. Written by Saturday Night Live alum Simon Rich, the film tells the story of the abrupt firing and rehiring of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI. The film, which star
When was this published? This article was first published on July 1, 2026 by them. and curated for LGBTQ News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Mathew Rodriguez at them.. To learn more about how LGBTQ News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more rights coverage from LGBTQ News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .