Universal considers scrapping release of four-hour Elon Musk documentary Musk
In brief
- Universal is reportedly reconsidering the full release of Musk, Alex Gibney’s four-hour documentary about Elon Musk.
Universal reportedly bought the rights for a release in 2023 for a multi-million-dollar sum. At this point, it has not been confirmed that the studio has made a final decision to drop the film.
What happened
IGN reported, based on The Hollywood Reporter, that Universal is taking another look at the planned release of Musk. The report says there is a strong chance the studio will pass on a full theatrical or distribution release, but Universal has not officially confirmed that.
The documentary is directed by Alex Gibney and is said to run four hours, including a 10-minute break. That would make it unusually long for a documentary release.
According to the report, Universal bought the rights to release the film in 2023. If the studio does indeed abandon the release, those rights could reportedly revert to Gibney, allowing him to shop the documentary elsewhere. That outcome has not been confirmed in the available sources.
Matt Rivera, a former journalist at The Wall Street Journal and NBC News, wrote on X that he saw the documentary at the Venice Film Festival. In his post, he said the screening received a five-minute standing ovation.
Timeline
2023: Universal reportedly buys the release rights for Musk.
2024: The film is said to include claims about that year’s U.S. presidential election.
17 September 2026: Current reporting says Universal may be backing away from a full release of the documentary.
Background
The reporting links Universal’s hesitation to Elon Musk’s political position and his ties to President Donald Trump, but that has not been confirmed as an official explanation from the studio. It is also not certain from the available sources that the rights would actually return to Alex Gibney; that is only described as a likely outcome.
Details about the documentary itself mostly come from secondhand reporting. In Rivera’s thread summary, claims are mentioned about Ashley St. Clair and Musk’s response to The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on alleged drug use. Those points have not been independently verified in the available sources.
The reporting links Universal’s hesitation to Elon Musk’s political position and his ties to President Donald Trump, but that has not been confirmed as an official explanation from the studio. It is also not certain from the available sources that the rights would actually return to Alex Gibney; that is only described as a likely outcome.
The details of the documentary itself mostly come from secondhand reporting. In Rivera’s thread summary, claims are mentioned about Ashley St. Clair and Musk’s response to The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on alleged drug use. Those points have not been independently verified in the available sources.
Sources
Tweet van @riveraTweet van @riveraIn a thread on Twitter/X, which Musk owns, former Wall Street Journal and NBC News journalist Matt Rivera recounted watching the documentary at Venice Film Festival, where it received a five-minute ovation, and listed an array of eye-opening details regarding the film's contents.
Tweet van @elonmuskTweet van @elonmuskIn response, Jigsaw stated that it had a "right to engage in open debate and fact-based examinations of powerful public figures" protected by the First Amendment, "something that should be recognized and defended by all Americans, including the associates of Elon Musk, who has proclaimed himself to be a 'free speech absolutist.'"
Tweet van @elonmuskTweet van @elonmuskIn response, Jigsaw stated that it had a "right to engage in open debate and fact-based examinations of powerful public figures" protected by the First Amendment, "something that should be recognized and defended by all Americans, including the associates of Elon Musk, who has proclaimed himself to be a 'free speech absolutist.'"