New Delhi: Universal Pictures has said it still plans to release Alex Gibney’s Musk in cinemas outside North America. Earlier on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter had reported that the studio was considering dropping the nearly four-hour Elon Musk documentary.
“The studio remains committed to releasing it in theaters internationally. We’re currently working through a release strategy,” Universal communications chief Evan Langweiler told The Hollywood Reporter. There are no international release dates yet, including for India.
Universal bought the international distribution rights to Musk three years ago in a multimillion-dollar deal. But the film still does not have a release date outside North America. According to The Hollywood Reporter, people close to the documentary had started to believe Universal might walk away and return the rights to the producers.
Part of the concern might have been political. The film is sharply critical of Musk, who became one of US President Donald Trump’s closest advisers after backing him in the 2024 election. The report said the documentary was considered sensitive by parts of the Trump administration. Trump has also repeatedly attacked Comcast, Universal’s parent company.
Also read: Netflix is making Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth with Freida Pinto & Siddharth
Dot.com to Donald Trump years
Universal faced criticism after the report was published. Meetings were held at the studio that day, before Langweiler issued the statement saying the international release was still on.
Musk is scheduled to release in cinemas across the US on 16 October. HBO has the television and streaming rights there and is expected to release it early next year.
Gibney’s film starts with Musk’s dot-com years and follows him through Tesla, SpaceX, the purchase of Twitter and his role in the Trump administration. Gibney began making it before Trump returned to office. It was initially meant to run for about two hours, but he expanded the film after Musk endorsed Trump and became increasingly involved in his campaign and administration.
Musk did not agree to be interviewed for the documentary. He has called it a “false film” and a “hit piece” and threatened legal action against its makers. Gibney has said the film was rigorously fact-checked and went through a legal review.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)