Musk documentary to release internationally despite legal threats from billionaire
What's the story
Universal is reportedly moving ahead with the international release of Alex Gibney's documentary Musk, despite legal threats from Elon Musk. The nearly four-hour-long film will be released theatrically in North America on October 9 by indie distributor Bleecker Street. The overseas rollout date is yet to be announced, but sources told Variety that an international premiere was happening.
Streaming plans
Documentary set to stream on HBO in 2027
Despite the ongoing controversy, Universal is reportedly committed to releasing Musk internationally. The film is scheduled to stream on HBO in the first quarter of 2027.
This decision comes after Musk's public criticism of the documentary as a "hit piece" following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. However, it's unclear if he has actually seen the film.
Controversy
'Musk' features various interviews
Musk's attorney Alex Spiro has threatened to file a defamation lawsuit before the film's release, citing Musk's texts with Ashley St. Clair, a MAGA influencer and one of the documentary's interviewees.
The film features a text exchange between Musk and St. Clair about the 2024 presidential election. They share a kid together.
It also delves into his business ventures such as Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, X (formerly Twitter), and artificial intelligence (AI).