# Hollywood turns spotlight on tech leaders and AI fears

> A wave of films about Zuckerberg, Musk, Altman and Holmes arrives as public anxiety about artificial intelligence peaks.
- Title: Hollywood turns spotlight on tech leaders and AI fears · CNBC
- Summary: A wave of films about Zuckerberg, Musk, Altman and Holmes arrives as public anxiety about artificial intelligence peaks. New films depicting major tech CEOs…
- Keywords: mark zuckerberg, elon musk, sam altman, elizabeth holmes, artificial intelligence, hollywood films, public opinion, ai anxiety, business, finance, Hollywood, turns
- Source: CNBC — https://cnbc.com/2026/10/10/ai-movies-tech-ceos-hollywood.html
- Author: Stephen Desaulniers,Julia Boorstin
- Published: 2026-10-10T12:00:01+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mark zuckerberg, elon musk, sam altman, elizabeth holmes, artificial intelligence, hollywood films, public opinion, ai anxiety, business, finance
## Sorkin returns to Facebook story
Sony Pictures' The Social Reckoning opens this weekend to around seven million dollars domestically. The scripted film follows Aaron Sorkin's two thousand ten Academy Award winner The Social Network.
## New film focuses on Haugen leak
The Social Reckoning follows the two thousand twenty-one leak by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who exposed internal documents from Meta. Haugen told CNBC the film captured the spirit of that time period.

> It brought back really warm memories for me.
## Musk documentary draws acclaim and criticism
Alex Gibney's nearly four hour Elon Musk documentary called Musk releases in limited release this weekend. Early showings drew critical acclaim, but Musk criticized it on X, saying the film has zero integrity.
## Holmes and Altman films coming soon
You Can See Everything, a documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, releases October sixteenth.
## Altman welcomes the creative outlet
Sam Altman told CNBC he appreciates people's creativity and supports it. He said he understands why people have anxiety and does not mind if they project it onto him or poke fun at him.

> I get why people have anxiety. And also if they need to, like, project that anxiety onto someone or have a little bit of relief and poke fun at me, it doesn't bother me.
## Public anxiety about AI is soaring
A Quinnipiac poll showed seventy-three percent of Americans are concerned about AI's threat to human survival. A Pew Research survey showed fifty-four percent think data centers are bad for the environment.
## Films reshape how people think
David Kirby, Cal Poly's director of Science, Technology and Society, said movies are incredibly persuasive media. He cited The Day After Tomorrow, Blackfish and asteroid films as examples that changed public opinion and government action.

> Movies are incredibly persuasive media. Stories are incredibly persuasive. We've known this for centuries.
## Key takeaway

New films depicting major tech CEOs and AI risks are releasing as polling shows seventy-three percent of Americans worry AI threatens human survival.