Alex Gibney, director of a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, disclosed that Universal Pictures, which holds international distribution rights to the film, reconsidered its commitment to releasing the project outside North America. The revelation came as the documentary opened in the United States through independent distributor Bleecker Street. When questioned by the New York Times about whether Universal had wavered on international release plans, Gibney confirmed that it had.
Reports indicated that Universal’s hesitation stemmed from concerns about potential legal threats from Musk. However, Gibney suggested the studio’s reconsideration involved multiple considerations, stating that concerns about legal matters and enthusiasm for the project were not mutually exclusive. According to Gibney, recent discussions with Universal have put concrete international release plans back into motion.
Producer Jessie Deeter, who had worked with Musk on two previous projects, attempted multiple times to secure an interview with Musk for the film. Musk responded by posting critical remarks on X, calling Gibney derogatory names. Following the documentary’s Venice film festival premiere, Musk issued additional criticism and insults directed at Gibney and the film itself, including labeling it a “hit piece that misses” and suggesting potential legal action against the filmmakers.
Universal declined to provide further comment beyond reiterating a previous statement asserting the studio’s commitment to releasing the film with no changes to its distribution strategy.
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