# Oscar filmmaker's Musk doc draws fire before release

> Alex Gibney's three-hour-45-minute documentary about Elon Musk premiered at Venice to critical acclaim, but Musk himself calls it a hit piece.
- Title: Oscar filmmaker's Musk doc draws fire before release
- Summary: Alex Gibney's three-hour-45-minute documentary about Elon Musk premiered at Venice to critical acclaim, but Musk himself calls it a hit piece. A major…
- Keywords: alex gibney, elon musk, documentary, musk, venice international film festival, bleecker street media, defamation lawsuit, tesla, spacex, twitter acquisition, ai interview, justine musk
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/09/we-have-a-trailer-for-musk-documentary-elon-called-a-hit-piece
- Published: 2026-09-24T18:52:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alex gibney, elon musk, documentary, musk, venice international film festival, bleecker street media, defamation lawsuit, tesla, spacex, twitter acquisition, ai interview, justine musk
## Oscar filmmaker tackles Musk
Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side, has completed a 3 hour 45 minute documentary about Elon Musk that premiered at Venice Film Festival two weeks ago.
## Musk calls it a hit piece
Elon Musk has attacked the film as a hit piece and psychological operation, and threatened defamation lawsuits against the filmmakers.

> hit piece
## Critics loved it anyway
Despite Musk's objections and its daunting runtime, the documentary has been critically well-received since its Venice premiere.
## AI Musk stands in for interview
Musk declined to be interviewed, so Gibney created an AI version of Musk speaking verbatim public quotes as a substitute for a real conversation.
## Interviews span Musk's world
The film features Musk's ex-wife Justine, tech journalists Kara Swisher and Zoe Schiffer, Tesla engineers, and others discussing his companies and personal life.
## US release October 9
Bleecker Street Media will release the film theatrically in the US on October 9, with international releases planned for early 2027 and HBO streaming to follow.
## Key takeaway

A major documentary about Elon Musk is coming to US theaters October 9 despite the subject's legal threats and claims of bias.