Universal is having second thoughts about releasing Alex Gibney's Musk documentary abroad — it got a four-minute standing ovation in Venice
Universal Pictures is reportedly rethinking its plan to distribute Musk, and the latest release date chatter won’t cheer anyone waiting for the Elon Musk movie.
Here we go again – another Elon Musk documentary, but this time it’s not your run-of-the-mill puff piece. Alex Gibney, who’s got a proper track record with hard-hitting docs, turned his lens on the Tesla frontman for nearly four hours. Yes, you read that right – almost four hours. It’s called Musk, and it made its debut at the Venice Film Festival to glowing reviews and even got a four-minute standing ovation. But now it looks like Universal Pictures might be getting cold feet about releasing this one overseas.
Musk clocks in at nearly four hours.
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Universal Wavers on International Release
Universal Pictures had been lined up to handle the international distribution of Gibney’s film, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, they’re rethinking that plan. No word yet on what exactly put them off, but it doesn’t take a genius to assume there’s a mix of political baggage, Musk’s unpredictable Twitter/X rants, and the doc’s general unflinching approach to its subject. In other words, everything’s up in the air for now if you’re outside the US and hoping to catch it on the big screen.
If you’re in the States, though, Bleecker Street says it’s still sticking with its release: October 16 is the date for US cinemas, and it’s set to stream later on HBO Max. So even if Universal backs out, the Yanks will still get their money’s worth. And you can bet it’ll be a talking point, considering the film’s content.
What’s Actually in the Film?
Gibney started putting Musk together in 2023, promising to take a deep dive into Musk’s growing – and frankly absurd – reach into politics, tech, social media, and business. The documentary reportedly looks at everything, from his dealings at Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), his rather public relationship with Donald Trump, right down to his role with DOGE (that’s the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, if you’ve not been keeping track of Musk’s many titles lately).
Plenty of familiar and not-so-familiar faces show up for interviews. There’s Musk’s dad, Errol Musk; his first wife, Justine Musk; Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard; LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman; AI expert Geoffrey Hinton; and political commentator Ashley St. Clair. Musk himself, predictably, refused to sit down with Gibney – probably wise, given his opinion on the project.
Musk’s Response and the Venice Reaction
From basically the second Gibney announced he was doing the documentary, Musk’s been on the defensive, posting on X (of course) that the whole thing was a 'hit piece' and calling Gibney out by name. After the film’s debut in Venice, Musk decided to go one louder, attacking the director’s credibility:
In a post on X after the premiere, Musk said Gibney had
ZERO integrity.
If you’re wondering whether he’s actually watched the film, well, no one really knows. Wouldn’t be the first time he commented on something sight unseen. Gibney, meanwhile, hasn’t sugar-coated the experience either. At a Venice press event, he talked about how tough it was to get sources on camera, saying that there was a genuine 'sense of fear' among people he approached – a handful of them simply wouldn’t get involved at all.
Extra Details: Awards and Accolades
On a slightly lighter note, David Byrne (yes, him from Talking Heads) contributed an original song to the film, which means Musk could be up for a songwriting Oscar at the 2027 Academy Awards. So, not your average tech billionaire biopic after all.