Alex Gibney’s Musk earned strong applause at Venice, but its international release suddenly faced uncertainty. Universal reportedly reconsidered releasing the Elon Musk documentary after acquiring overseas rights for a multimillion-dollar sum.
The film had already generated buzz through festival screenings and a North American theatrical rollout. Yet the studio had not announced international release dates, leaving the documentary’s global future unclear.
Universal is reportedly reconsidering its international release plans for Alex Gibney’s Elon Musk documentary as its future remains uncertain
As per The Hollywood Reporter, two people familiar with the situation expected Universal to potentially abandon the release. They stressed that no final decision had been made, while Universal declined comment. The documentary received roughly five minutes of applause at Venice. Audiences also shouted “thank you” toward Gibney after the screening.
Universal controlled the movie’s rights outside North America, while Bleecker Street handled its U.S. theatrical release. The film was also scheduled to screen at the London Film Festival, which would normally support a broader European rollout. However, Universal, had not announced plans for Britain or other international markets.
The studio acquired the film in 2023, when Musk’s political profile looked very different. Since then, his relationship with Donald Trump had shifted dramatically. The film also examined Musk’s political influence and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency. It included criticism from AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton about potential election-related risks.
Hinton said in the film, “It’s fairly clear to me that Trump is hell-bent on corrupting the midterm elections.” He also discussed how DOGE data could potentially affect voters. Those claims represented the documentary’s perspective and remained disputed. Musk had repeatedly dismissed Gibney’s project as a “hit piece” and called it “boring.”
Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, also sent Gibney’s production company a legal warning. The letter reportedly put the filmmakers “on notice” over the documentary’s contents. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal could owe the filmmakers a kill fee if it abandoned distribution. The filmmakers could then resell the international rights elsewhere.
That possibility would hardly leave the movie homeless. International distributors had reportedly shown strong interest after its festival run. HBO still held North American television and streaming rights. The earliest HBO release could come in February, after a four-month pay-VOD window.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery’s possible sale to David Ellison could complicate HBO’s future involvement. Ellison’s father, Larry, also received an unfavorable mention in the documentary.
