Is Elon Musk a hero or villain? New documentary explores
What's the story
The first teaser for the much-awaited documentary on billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has been released. Titled Musk, the film is directed by Alex Gibney and will have its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Tuesday, September 8. The nearly four-hour-long documentary will also be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) before arriving in theaters.
Teaser insights
Here's how the teaser goes
The 48-second teaser features montages of spacecraft and astronautical devices with contrasting voices giving varied commentary about Musk.
While some voices describe him as "possibly the greatest living inventor" and "the real-life Iron Man," others call him "chaotic, random, capricious" and "manifestly cruel and selfish."
The teaser ends with a voice saying, "Elon is a nuke," as a spacecraft hits the ground, implodes, and bursts into flames.
Film focus
Documentary will cover Musk's influence and controversies
The documentary will explore Musk's rise, his influence across technology and politics, and the controversies that have followed him.
It will examine how Musk went from being celebrated as a technology visionary to a figure whose influence extends beyond his companies.
The film also delves into his business ventures such as Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, X (formerly Twitter), and artificial intelligence (AI).
Documentary approach
Musk did not participate in the documentary
One of the notable aspects of Musk is that Musk himself did not participate in its making. Instead, the documentary draws on interviews with people who have observed or worked around him.
Among those featured are technology journalist Kara Swisher and philosopher-podcaster Sam Harris. Justine Musk, Musk's first wife, also appears in the film.
The approach allows Gibney to construct a portrait of Musk through different perspectives on his personal and professional life.
Release details
Release date and other details
Musk will be released in US theaters on October 16. The film has a nearly four-hour running time and features an original song by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.
Gibney directs and produces Musk with Jessie Deeter and Erin Edeiken for Jigsaw Productions, Dana O'Keefe for Double Agent, Joey Marra and Zhang Xin for Closer Media, and Nick Shumaker and Jessica Grimshaw for Anonymous Content. Ronan Farrow and Lawrence Wright are also part of the producing team.