Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ has already gotten under Elon Musk’s skin. It goes nationwide this week: news

Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ Documentary Expands Nationwide Amid Backlash from Elon Musk

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney’s highly anticipated documentary, ‘Musk’, expands into theaters nationwide this week after a limited theatrical rollout by Bleecker Street and a buzz-heavy premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. The nearly four-hour investigative film delivers an unvarnished examination of the tech billionaire’s meteoric rise, corporate dominion, and sweeping geopolitical influence.

Why the Film Got Under Elon Musk’s Skin

The documentary has visibly provoked Elon Musk, who refused formal interviews for the project and took to X (formerly Twitter) to deride the production as a “hit piece” and a “psy op”. Adding to the tension, Musk’s legal representatives issued defamation threats over specific assertions made in the documentary.

Among the most talked-about elements generating controversy:

• The AI-Generated Avatar: Because Musk declined to sit down for an on-camera interview, Gibney’s team constructed a computer-generated likeness of Musk speaking directly to the camera. The visual is digitally mapped using artificial intelligence, while every word and vocal track consists entirely of Musk’s own verified audio from past speeches, interviews, and public statements.

  The Washington Post

• Insider Testimonies: The documentary features in-depth interviews with key figures from Musk’s personal and professional life, including his first wife Justine Musk, father Errol Musk, child custody rival Ashley St. Clair, Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, and tech journalists Kara Swisher and Zoë Schiffer.

  Wikipedia

• An Expanding Lens on Power: What began as a profile of entrepreneurial power grew in scope as Musk took ownership of X, aligned closely with Donald Trump, and emerged as an unprecedented global power broker.

  Wikipedia

The Theatrical Rollout and Where to Watch

Distributed domestically by Bleecker Street, Musk debuted on select screens before opening across theaters nationwide on October 16. Following its theatrical run, the feature will head to HBO and streaming platforms as part of an earlier North American distribution deal.