Artificial, the upcoming movie from director Luca Guadagnino, has just added aBridesmaids(2011) alum to its stacked cast. AfterChallengers(2024)andQueer(2024), Guadagnino’s sights are now set on a comedy-drama about OpenAI, the tech company behind ChatGPT.
The Amazon MGM film features an impressive lineup of actors, withAndrew Garfield now confirmed to be playing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.Artificialis also set to feature performances by Monica Barbaro, Jason Schwartzman, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, and Yura Borisov.
THRnow reports that actorChris O’Dowd has joined the cast ofArtificial. No details about O’Dowd’s character have been released just yet, but the film will mark the actor’s first movie role since 2022’sSlumberland. O’Dowd will be best known to many for playing Rhodes inBridesmaids.
The report also notes thatArtificialis currently in productionand that it will focus on a particularly eventful time in OpenAI’s history, chronicling Altman’s firing and rehiring within the span of a few days.
What This Means For Artificial
Image via Netflix
Few official details have been released forArtificialat this point, butthe cast is set to be one of the most impressive assembled for a recent Guadagnino project. The cast alone means the film is already looking like a likely awards contender afterChallengersandQueerfailed to make a splash at the Oscars.
Challengershas a glowing 88% Rotten Tomatoes score whileQueerhas a 77%.
O’Dowd’s casting fits with the film’s description as a comedic drama.The actor is mostly known for his work in comedyacross TV and movies. He recently starred in the Apple TV+ showThe Big Door Prize, for example, in addition to roles inBig Mouth,My Father’s Dragon(2022),The Starling(2021), andGet Shorty.
O’Dowd is no stranger to dramatic work, however, having also just recently starred in a dark and tragic episode ofBlack Mirrorseason 7. He also appeared in an episode ofThe Twilight Zonereboot,Molly’s Game(2017), andThe Program(2015), the latter of which is a biographical sports drama.
It’s unclear howArtificialwill land with audiences. Especially in Hollywood,there is a great deal of fear about AI and how it will impact the movie-making process. The cast and Guadagnino’s involvement, however, suggests the new film could make quite a splash.
Our Take On Chris O’Dowd’s Artificial Casting
Without knowing any details about O’Dowd’s role inArtificial, it’s hard to say how the actor will fare. His previous work, however, suggestshe will be right at home in this type of project, especially if it can take advantage of his comedic and dramatic chops.
Challengers, especially, was a 2024 movie highlight, andGuadagnino remains a particularly exciting directorworking in Hollywood today, often choosing smaller and more character-driven stories.Artificialhas the potential to be his biggest and most notable work yet, and O’Dowd’s casting only adds to the excitement surrounding the project.
