Universal is maintaining plans to release Alex Gibney’s Elon Musk documentary “Musk” internationally, despite recent reports suggesting the studio could reconsider its overseas rollout following legal threats from the billionaire, according to sources familiar with the project.
The documentary does not yet have a confirmed international release date, but sources said the absence of an overseas date is not unusual for a film of its scale and length. “Musk” runs for nearly four hours and is scheduled for a North American theatrical release on Oct. 9 through independent distributor Bleecker Street.
Universal has remained supportive of an international release, the sources said, even as Musk and his legal representatives have raised objections to the film’s content.
The documentary is also scheduled to arrive on HBO in the first quarter of 2027, giving the project a later television and streaming window following its theatrical run.
Musk attacks documentary after Venice premiere
Tensions surrounding the film intensified after “Musk” premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Following the premiere, Musk took to X to criticize the documentary, describing it as “a hit piece.”
It was not immediately clear whether Musk had watched the completed film before making the comments.
Musk also attacked the selection of people interviewed for the documentary, accusing Gibney of assembling what he characterized as a predetermined case against him.
“Musk had ‘just assembled a hit list of people who either have an axe to grind or don’t even know me (but still have an axe to grind),’” Musk asserted.
Among the people interviewed for the documentary is Ashley St. Clair, a MAGA influencer who has a child with Musk. The film includes a depiction of text messages exchanged between St. Clair and Musk concerning the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The inclusion of that material has become one of the focal points of the legal dispute surrounding the documentary.
Musk’s attorney threatens legal action
Alex Spiro, an attorney for Musk, threatened to bring a defamation lawsuit ahead of the film’s October release. The threat specifically pointed to the text exchanges between Musk and St. Clair featured in the documentary.
The prospect of litigation has added another layer of attention to Gibney’s film, which examines Musk’s career, business ventures, public persona and controversies.
Universal and Gibney have declined to comment on the latest reports concerning the film’s international distribution plans.
Critics assess Musk’s rise and controversies
The documentary has already generated substantial discussion among critics following its Venice premiere.
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman, reviewing the film from Venice, described Gibney’s approach as an examination of the controversies and business practices surrounding Musk.
“Once you start piecing together Musk’s scandals and cut corners and slipshod management, you see that he’s a creator of mirages who promises more than he delivers … Musk, as the documentary makes clear, is a genuine if flawed technocratic visionary, a messianic opportunist, and something of a crackpot,” Gleiberman wrote.
The film comes at a particularly high-profile period in Musk’s public life, with his business empire, political activities and personal controversies receiving sustained international attention.
Gibney, an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker known for films that investigate powerful institutions and prominent figures, has built his career around subjects involving politics, business, technology and corporate power.
“Musk” is among his most ambitious projects in terms of both its subject and running time. The film seeks to examine the entrepreneur behind companies including Tesla and SpaceX while also exploring the controversies that have accompanied his rise to extraordinary influence.
For now, Universal’s international plans remain intact. While overseas dates have yet to be announced, sources familiar with the project say the studio continues to move forward with the global rollout as originally intended.
The documentary’s North American theatrical release is set for Oct. 9, with its HBO debut planned for the first quarter of 2027.