Alex Gibney’s Musk has become the centre of a distribution storm after reports that Universal Pictures was reconsidering its plans to release the Elon Musk documentary outside North America.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, two people familiar with the situation said Universal could ultimately decide against releasing the film and return its international rights to the filmmakers. The sources stressed that no final decision had been made and that several outcomes remained possible. Universal initially declined to comment. The studio has since said it remains committed to the international release, although it has yet to announce overseas dates.
The uncertainty followed the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere earlier this month. The nearly four-hour documentary received about five minutes of enthusiastic applause, with some audience members shouting “thank you” to Gibney inside the festival’s Sala Grande.
Despite that response, Universal had not announced an international release date or communicated a clear rollout plan to the filmmaking team at the time of the THR report. The film is due to open in US cinemas through independent distributor Bleecker Street and screen at the London Film Festival next month. Universal has not announced corresponding UK or European release dates.
If Universal were to abandon the international release, it would mark a major reversal after the studio acquired the rights three years ago for a multimillion-dollar sum. Under the reported deal structure, Universal would have to pay the filmmakers a fee for not releasing the film. The filmmakers could then sell the rights again.
The documentary would still have strong international prospects. Distributors in several territories have shown interest since the film began generating attention through its Venice and Toronto premieres. If Universal returned the rights, those distributors could have another opportunity to acquire the film.
The film has also attracted political attention because of its examination of Musk’s growing influence. Among its claims, Musk explores whether data gathered during Musk’s time with DOGE could be used against Democrats in the upcoming US election.
The documentary features Nobel Prize-winning AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton discussing how such data could potentially be used to influence an election. Hinton says in the film that obtaining detailed information about US citizens would be what someone would need if they wanted to use AI to corrupt a midterm election.
The film also examines Musk’s relationship with Donald Trump and his links to Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr. Carr has publicly defended Musk in the past, while the FCC has significant regulatory authority over media companies. The agency is also investigating Comcast’s DEI practices, adding another layer to concerns about potential corporate and regulatory pressure.
Universal acquired the international rights to Musk in 2023, when Musk had not yet formally aligned himself with Trump and Carr did not hold his current position of influence.
Musk has repeatedly attacked Gibney’s documentary, calling it a “hit piece” and describing it as “boring”, despite no indication that he has watched the film. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, also sent a letter to Gibney’s production company putting it “on notice” over the documentary.
HBO holds the North American television and streaming rights. The network acquired them in 2023 and later encouraged Gibney to continue filming after Musk entered the Trump administration, providing additional financing.
HBO remains on course to release the film. However, a proposed Warner Bros. Discovery sale to David Ellison could complicate matters. Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, is helping finance the acquisition and receives an unfavourable mention in the documentary.
The filmmakers have a four-month pay-VOD window, meaning HBO could not air the film until February at the earliest. By then, Ellison could already control HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery.
For now, however, Universal says its international plans remain unchanged. The studio is working on its overseas release strategy, while the North American rollout continues through Bleecker Street.
