Ike Barinholtz, the actor known for his role in Apple’s “The Studio,” is in talks to play Elon Musk in an upcoming AI-themed film, “Artificial.” The movie, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is set to be released by Amazon MGM Studios, owned by Amazon.com Inc. AMZN.
What Happened: Barinholtz is set to portray the role of Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, in the new comedy-drama “Artificial,” reported Deadline on Wednesday.
The film is likely to center on the short-lived removal of billionaire Sam Altman as head of OpenAI in 2023. However, the official plot is yet to be revealed.
The cast features Yura Borisov, Andrew Garfield and Cooper Koch. Garfield is slated to portray Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, with Borisov playing the role of OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever.
Barinholtz’s character, Elon Musk, is depicted as a “dictator” and features in scenes of “villainy and comic relief,” reported Puck earlier this month.
The script for “Artificial” is penned by Simon Rich and produced by Heyday Films’ David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford, along with Jennifer Fox. The project was announced in early June.
Why It Matters: The film’s storyline is rooted in real-life events. The Tesla CEO has been making headlines for his comments on OpenAI’s financial situation. Musk had previously stated that OpenAI and SoftBank did not have the funds for the $500 billion Stargate project. However, OpenAI recently announced a partnership with Oracle ORCL to expand the Stargate data center capacity, indicating a shift in the financial landscape.
Earlier in the year, Musk faced legal backlash as Sam Altman-led OpenAI countersued him over alleged harassment tactics. The lawsuit claimed that Musk’s tactics included press attacks, legal harassment, and an unsolicited bid for the company’s assets.
Moreover, Musk’s criticism of the Trump administration led to a strained alliance between him and President Donald Trump. This situation was foreseen by Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who noted that Musk “busts up with everybody.”
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