Coit Tower, Dolores Park, and the Presidio.
These are among the San Francisco landmarks that will function as a backdrop for “Artificial,” a $40 million film starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, according to film permits obtained by The Standard.
The dramedy, set to premiere in 2026, reportedly tells the story of how OpenAI’s former chief scientist Illya Sutskever, played by Yura Borisov (“Anora”), was sidelined and ousted by a ruthless Altman after the latter’s brief removal from his own company. The Amazon MGM Studios film, directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Challengers” and “Call Me by Your Name”) is expected to critique Silicon Valley’s obsession with AI and the industry’s reckless expansion.
San Francisco native Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”) will reportedly play Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former chief technology officer, and Ike Barinholtz (“The Studio”) will portray billionaire Elon Musk, who sparred with Altman for control of OpenAI.
Highlights of the San Francisco shoots include dialogue scenes at Atelier Crenn in the Marina and Stable Cafe in the Mission; b-roll near OpenAI’s former HQ at 18th and Bryant streets; and driving scenes on a congested stretch of Gough Street and the scenic portion of Portola Drive at Twin Peaks.
SFGate compiled footage Reddit users posted of actors walking near Altman’s mansion on Lombard Street and of a balding Borisov sporting an OpenAI T-shirt at Dolores Park.
“Two actors talk while in Dolores Park,” the permit says of the scene. “They walk to the bus stop as a light rail passes by them. No actors on the actual rail itself.”
The production company wrote that it would “prefer a light rail car with no advertisements on it,” and if that wasn’t possible, would “sticky tack or soft tape our fake advertisements over what exists.”
The film hired 425 local crew members for shoots between July 24 and Aug. 2. The San Francisco Police Department billed the production company nearly $40,000 for safety and traffic assistance, the permits show.
Eternal Leo Productions, an LLC formed in May, is listed as the film’s production company. The permit says it operates under MGM Studios.
The San Francisco Film Commission redacted the amount of money the filmmakers have spent in the city. A spokesperson did not respond to questions about why the field was redacted.