A new movie about OpenAI has cast the role of Elon Musk. While Musk could probably care less if you watch that movie that might not portray him in the best light, a biopic based on Musk’s life is set to hit the big screen in the future and will be based off an approved biography on the world’s richest man.
What Happened: Actor Ike Barinholtz is in talks to portray Musk in a movie about OpenAI titled “Artificial.” The movie will also star Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, as Benzinga previously reported.
While the film will center on Altman’s ouster and rehire by the board, it is also likely to explore Musk’s early days with the company and his ultimate exit back in 2018 over disagreements about a for-profit structure of the company.
Past reports have said the film may not portray Musk in the best light using descriptions like “dictator” and villain.
While that movie won’t center entirely on Musk, a future film from A24 will explore Musk and all things SpaceX, Tesla and X. The untitled film is set to be directed by Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and is based on the book about Musk by Walter Isaacson.
Musk gave Isaacson tons of access to his life and companies and the author was even around the billionaire during the time period of the $44 billion acquisition of social media platform Twitter, which was renamed X.
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Who Could Play Elon Musk?: The Aronofsky movie does not have a release date yet and has not currently cast the lead role of Musk.
With the news that Barinholtz is in talks to portray Musk on film, Benzinga asked Grok, the chatbot from Musk’s X to look at potential options to portray the billionaire in the biopic.
“For the yet-to-be-released Elon Musk biopic based on the Walter Isaacson biography, who do you think should be cast as Elon Musk for the movie?” Benzinga asked Grok.
Grok said casting the right actor for Musk is “crucial” for the film and will need to make sure to portray his “complex personality, visionary drive and polarizing public presence.”
“Here are a few actors who could compellingly portray Elon Musk, considering his intensity, eccentricity and multifaceted persona,” Grok said.
The actors named were as follows, with portions of the reasoning Grok gave:
- Christian Bale: His physical versatility and knack for embodying complex, high-energy personalities make him a strong fit to portray Musk’s relentless ambition and enigmatic nature.
- Rami Malek: Malek’s ability to convey intensity and intellectual depth, as seen in “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Mr. Robot,” could capture Musk’s quirky charisma and visionary mindset. His expressive eyes and subtle mannerisms could reflect Musk’s unpredictable public persona.
- Cillian Murphy: Murphy’s piercing intensity and ability to play cerebral, enigmatic characters (“Peaky Blinders,” “Oppenheimer”) align well with Musk’s introspective yet commanding presence. He could effectively portray Musk’s blend of genius and volatility.
- Adam Driver: Driver’s range and ability to portray driven, larger-than-life figures (“Marriage Story,” “Star Wars”) make him a compelling choice. His physicality and emotional depth could bring out Musk’s relentless work ethic and personal struggles.
“Each of these actors could bring a unique angle to Musk’s character, emphasizing different facets of his life — whether it’s his entrepreneurial zeal, personal controversies, or futuristic vision.”
Grok ultimately picked Bale as the standout actor to play Musk given his “ability to fully immense himself in complex roles.”
Benzinga also asked Grok to list potential actors based on Musk’s appearance and physicality. For this question, Grok named Bale, Malek and Murphy once again and replaced Driver with Edward Norton.
Grok said that Norton has “a lean build, angular face, and intense eyes” that could resemble Musk. Ultimately, Grok picked Murphy for the closest “natural resemblance” to Musk with Bale coming in a “close second.”
Interestingly enough, Norton played technology billionaire Miles Bron in Netflix movie “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Movie director Rian Johnson previously said that the movie character, who was interested in space exploration and automotives in the film, may have been inspired by Musk.
Malek previously won an Academy Award for portraying Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the “Bohemian Rhapsody” biopic.
From Iron Man to Elon Musk?: Actor Robert Downey Jr. played Iron Man/Tony Stark across many Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
Downey’s portrayal of Stark in the films was said to be inspired by Musk and the billionaire even earned a cameo in “Iron Man 2.”
Benzinga asked Grok if Downey Jr. could be up for playing Musk on film.
“Yes, Robert Downey Jr. could convincingly transition from playing Tony Stark to portraying Elon Musk in a film,” Grok said.
Grok said Downey Jr. has experience with similar roles, such as Iron Man, a physical resemblance to Musk, similar charisma and the actor’s ability to take on “complex, real-life figures” like Charlie Chaplin.
The challenge for Downey as Musk, according to Grok, would be difficulty for the audience to differentiate Downey playing Stark and Downey playing Musk and an age difference.
Why It’s Important: Playing Musk on film could be the opportunity of a lifetime for an actor. As the world’s richest man and most followed person on X, Musk has a wide platform and is influential on getting his fans to do certain things.
Support for the movie and the actor cast as himself, Musk could help boost the box office of the film.
After giving access to Isaacson, the film is likely to be less controversial than others exploring Musk and is likely to receive the billionaire’s support.
Isaacson authored “Steve Jobs” in 2011, which was turned into a biopic. The movie starred Michael Fassbender in the title role and was released in 2015, four years after Jobs’ death.
The film was nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress (Kate Winslet) Academy Awards. “Steve Jobs” grossed $17.8 million domestically and $34.4 million worldwide.
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Great Job Chris Katje & the Team @ Benzinga – Stock Market Quotes, Business News, Financial News, Trading Ideas, and Stock Research by Professionals Source link for sharing this story.
