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Luca Guadagnino has found his next directing gig.

The filmmaker is in negotiations to helm ‘Artificial,’ a film dramatizing the chaotic 2023 leadership crisis at OpenAI. The project centers on the brief but dramatic firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman within a span of just days.

The film is being fast-tracked at Amazon MGM Studios, with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films producing. Simon Rich, who penned the screenplay, is also on board as a producer. Jennifer Fox is in discussions to join the producing team as well.

Things are moving quickly: sources say Amazon hopes to begin production as early as this summer, with filming planned in San Francisco and Italy.

While casting is still being finalized and depends on Guadagnino officially signing on, several actors are reportedly circling key roles. Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, and ‘Anora’’s Yura Borisov are among those in talks.

The story follows Sam Altman, who co-founded OpenAI but was removed by the board in late 2023 amid concerns about AI safety and internal misconduct allegations. Just five days later, after internal backlash and public pressure, he was reinstated. If current casting plans proceed, Garfield would portray Altman, Barbaro would take on the role of chief technology officer Mira Murati, and Borisov would play co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who initially helped oust Altman.

‘Artificial’ marks Guadagnino’s third collaboration with Amazon MGM. He previously directed ‘After the Hunt,’ starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri, which the studio is set to release on October 10. He also directed ‘Challengers,’ starring Zendaya, released by the studio last year.

Guadagnino had been preparing to shoot ‘Sgt. Rock,’ a World War II action film starring Colin Farrell for DC, with production originally eyed for late summer. However, that project was shelved as DC reassessed its timeline due to “daylight issues.”

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