Musk called the documentary about him a hit piece and sent a lawyer, so it is coming out a week early at 100%
Spurred by huge interest after its world premiere, the new Elon Musk documentary is bringing its cinema release forward — but by how much?
If you thought the chatter around Elon Musk had peaked, brace yourself. There's a three-hour-forty-five-minute documentary about the world's most divisive billionaire out soon in cinemas, and thanks to frenzied reaction after its festival debut, you'll get to see it a week earlier than planned. Here's what's actually happening—let's clear it all up.
Musk will hit UK and US cinemas on 9 October, a week ahead of schedule, after drawing big crowds at the Venice Film Festival.
The New Date and Where It's Playing
Bleecker Street, the distributor behind Musk, decided to bump up the release after the film's world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 8 September. Audience interest there was apparently strong enough for the company to move the original 16 October slot forward. First up are New York and Los Angeles on 9 October. After that, it will roll out to cinemas across the US—and yes, the run time is nearly four hours, though you do get a ten-minute intermission. Presumably so you can text about how much you hate or love Musk in the lobby.
The Film, the Director, and the Drama
Alex Gibney directs this exhaustive Musk deep-dive, focusing sharply on how the Tesla and SpaceX boss has embedded himself in right-wing politics and public controversy. The documentary reportedly stands out for both its sceptical approach and the sheer length—you're not exactly in for a brisk evening.
No surprise: Musk himself is not thrilled. After catching wind of the critical buzz, Musk didn't hold back. On X, he lashed out at Gibney personally, calling him a 'horrible human' and a 'bitter old man who lost the plot long ago' and dismissed the film as a 'hit piece that misses' and 'boring af.'
Read more: Chloe Zhao went to Venice and refused to apologise for Eternals
Here's how Musk put it publicly on X after the Venice premiere: "Yeah, he’s a bitter old man who lost the plot long ago".
The drama doesn't end on social media. Musk has threatened legal action over the documentary. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, sent a letter to director Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, claiming the film includes untrue insinuations and warning them they were on notice, insisting evidence contradicting parts of the film was already public if anyone cared to look.
Gibney, for his part, says it wasn't for lack of trying to get Musk involved. According to him, he and his team repeatedly tried to contact Musk or his people—formally, no less—but apart from Musk's public outbursts, they got radio silence.
Critical Reaction and Who's in It
In one of those ironies that feels a bit on the nose, Musk sits at a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes right now. Critics seem keen. Maybe that's fuelling all the name-calling and legal blustering.
For the actual content, Gibney didn't just stitch together news headlines—there are some big interviewees. Viewers can expect new conversations with: Ashley St. Clair (Musk’s ex and mother of one of his children), Justine Musk (Musk’s first ex-wife), journalists Kara Swisher and Zoë Schiffer, Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, and Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called "Godfather of AI" who has his own bones to pick with Silicon Valley.
- Musk now opens in cinemas 9 October (NY and LA first, then nationwide)
- Directed by Alex Gibney, with a 3 hour 45 minute runtime and an intermission
- Features exclusive interviews with major figures from Musk's professional and private life
- 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating at time of writing
- Notable for its critical perspective on Musk’s political influence
- Musk has called the film a "hit piece" and threatened legal action