Neon has released the official Artificial trailer, with Andrew Garfield as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and a Christmas Day theatrical date.
Mya Copeland, writing for Variety on 8 September 2026, says Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI biopic will open in theatres on Christmas Day after Neon took over distribution from Amazon MGM earlier this year. The clip centres on the 2023 boardroom crisis in which Altman was fired and reinstated within five days.
Artificial trailer cast, Christmas Day date, and Neon’s rescue
Variety names Ike Barinholtz as OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk, Monica Barbaro as former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Yura Borisov as former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, and Mark Rylance as Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton. Jason Schwartzman, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Hoffman, Chris O’Dowd, Cooper Koch and Billie Lourd also appear.
Simon Rich wrote the screenplay. Guadagnino and Rich produce with David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford and Jennifer Fox. Deadline reported in June that Neon acquired global rights after Amazon MGM said the film would “be better served if it were released by a different studio,” following Amazon’s major OpenAI partnership. Variety adds that Netflix, A24 and Focus passed before Neon signed on.
Neon’s official YouTube upload frames the date as select theatres on Christmas Day. Variety earlier placed the world premiere at the New York Film Festival on 5 October 2026 at Alice Tully Hall.
tbreak has previously covered the Amazon drop of Artificial and Garfield’s other 2026 screen work on The Uprising.
tbreak has not found a VOX Cinemas, Novo Cinemas or Reel Cinemas listing in the UAE. UAE showtimes are unconfirmed; Neon’s Christmas Day push is framed as a theatrical awards-season launch.
The official Artificial trailer is on Neon’s YouTube channel. Christmas Day theatrical dates are set; UAE listings remain unconfirmed.
Is there an official Artificial trailer?
Yes. Neon uploaded the official teaser to YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDZplZFnbOk. Variety embedded the same clip on 8 September 2026.
Who plays Sam Altman in Artificial?
Andrew Garfield plays OpenAI founder Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s film.
Who else is in the Artificial cast?
Per Variety: Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati, Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever, and Mark Rylance as Geoffrey Hinton. Jason Schwartzman, Zosia Mamet, Cooper Hoffman, Chris O’Dowd, Cooper Koch and Billie Lourd also appear.
When does Artificial open in theatres?
Variety says Christmas Day. Neon’s official YouTube copy says select theatres on Christmas Day. The world premiere is set for 5 October 2026 at the New York Film Festival.
Why did Amazon MGM drop Artificial?
Amazon MGM said the film would “be better served if it were released by a different studio.” Coverage tied the move to Amazon’s major OpenAI partnership, including a reported $50 billion investment. Neon later acquired global rights.
Is Artificial showing in the UAE?
UAE showtimes are unconfirmed. tbreak has not found a VOX Cinemas, Novo Cinemas or Reel Cinemas listing.
