In an exclusive report by Variety, details emerged regarding Neon's carefully planned awards strategy for 'Artificial.' Andrew Garfield, who portrays OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, will be campaigned for Best Supporting Actor, a surprising yet calculated decision given his prominent role and star power. Meanwhile, Yura Borisov, playing co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, will contend for Best Lead Actor.

The film, directed by the acclaimed Luca Guadagnino, is set to premiere at the New York Film Festival before heading to the BFI London Film Festival. 'Artificial' chronicles the complex relationship between Altman and Sutskever, tracing their journey from shared tech optimism to their eventual conflict as the groundbreaking, yet increasingly perilous, capabilities of their AI technology become apparent, leading to Altman's ousting.

The choice to place Garfield in a supporting role, despite his central presence and marketing prominence, is a strategic play seen before in Hollywood. Precedents include Meryl Streep in 'Into the Woods' and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 'Chicago,' both of whom earned nominations, with Zeta-Jones winning. This move aims to give Garfield a stronger footing in a potentially less crowded category, as the Best Actor field is already shaping up to be fiercely competitive.

Yura Borisov's push for Best Lead Actor follows his breakthrough performance in 'Anora,' which earned him an Oscar nomination two years prior. The ensemble cast also boasts Oscar winner Mark Rylance, as AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, who joins Garfield in the supporting actor race, and Monica Barbaro, playing former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati, vying for supporting actress. Other notable cast members include Cooper Hoffman, Ike Barinholtz, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Billie Lourd, and Zosia Mamet.

Neon's campaign extends across all major categories, including Best Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay for Simon Rich. Behind the camera, Guadagnino has reunited with many regular collaborators, including editor Marco Costa and casting director Jessica Ronane. New additions to his team include cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed and Blur frontman Damon Albarn, who composed the original score and songs.

With a team of accomplished producers, including Jeffrey Clifford, Jennifer Fox, Guadagnino, David Heyman, and Simon Rich, 'Artificial' arrives with significant Oscar pedigree. The film aims to be a major contender, hoping its compelling narrative and strategic campaign choices will resonate with Academy voters.