Ike Barinholtz in a still from ‘The Studio’
| Photo Credit: Apple TV
Actor Ike Barinholtz is in negotiations to portray tech billionaire Elon Musk in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial, a comedic drama centered on the world of artificial intelligence. The project is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios.
Best known for roles in The Mindy Project, Blockers, and most recently Apple TV’s The Studio, which earned him an Emmy nomination, Barinholtz is expected to take on the role of Musk during a dramatised retelling of the 2023 OpenAI boardroom shakeup. The film is said to explore the dramatic few days when Sam Altman was ousted and swiftly reinstated as OpenAI CEO.
While plot details remain under wraps, Andrew Garfield is reportedly set to play Altman, with Yura Borisov, fresh off his Oscar nomination for Anora, expected to play Ilya Sutskever, the OpenAI co-founder who played a pivotal role in the leadership upheaval.
Artificial was written by Simon Rich, whose previous credits include An American Pickle. Rich also serves as producer, alongside David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films, and Jennifer Fox.
The film continues Guadagnino’s partnership with Amazon MGM, following previous collaborations on Challengers (2024), Bones and All (2022), and Suspiria (2018).
The director’s next project, After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this year.
Published – July 24, 2025 11:37 am IST