Alex Gibney's Musk documentary runs for 225 minutes before its theatrical release.
Elon Musk's attorney Alex Spiro accused filmmakers of presenting predetermined conclusions.
The documentary moves into theatres after strong Venice Film Festival reviews.
Alex Gibney's Musk documentary is heading to theatres earlier than planned after receiving strong reviews following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The 225-minute documentary examines Elon Musk's rise from a wealthy South African family to one of the most powerful figures in technology and politics.
Musk documentary earns praise after Venice premiere
The film traces Musk's journey through Tesla, SpaceX and his acquisition of Twitter, now X, while also examining his relationship with former US President Donald Trump and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk features interviews with people from the billionaire’s personal and professional circles, including his former wife Justine Musk and former conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair. Musk himself did not participate in the documentary. Gibney has said repeated attempts to reach him received no response beyond his public comments on X.
TheWrap's Ben Croll praised the documentary in his review, writing, “Here is work meant less for us than for posterity, an ongoing obituary for a world and a global order in palliative care.”
Elon Musk's attorney sends legal warning
The Venice Film Festival's premiere was followed by a legal warning from Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro. In a letter to Gibney and his production company Jigsaw Productions, Spiro argued that Musk's team had repeatedly attempted to provide his side of the story but was not given the opportunity.
“While we are ardent supporters of the First Amendment, and respect the reporting process, it has become abundantly clear that the motivations behind this piece are not the pursuit of truth, but something far different. This project did not begin as an inquiry. It began with a conclusion,” Spiro wrote.
He further warned, “You are on notice, before release, that the insinuation is false, that the material refuting it is public, and that you chose not to be told the rest.”
Musk has also attacked the documentary on X, calling it a “boring hit piece”.
When is the Musk documentary releasing?
Bleecker Street has moved the Musk documentary release date forward by one week. It will open in New York and Los Angeles on October 9, 2026, followed by a nationwide expansion.
The release will arrive during a busy month for films examining powerful technology companies, with Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, his follow-up to The Social Network, also arriving in October.
