Bleecker Street pulls Alex Gibney's Musk forward to 9 October

Bleecker Street has pulled Alex Gibney's Musk forward a week to 9 October. The documentary about Elon Musk was previously dated for 16 October. The distributor pointed to intense interest in the film, Deadline reported exclusively.

The release is theatrical first, which means cinemas before streaming or television. It will open in New York and Los Angeles on 9 October. It will then expand to theatres nationwide, a gradual rollout that lets a specialist title build an audience city by city.

The running time is 3 hours and 45 minutes. That includes a 10-minute intermission, a short break in the middle of the screening. Long documentaries sometimes use an interval so audiences can stretch their legs without missing story, Deadline reported.

Musk has already started its festival journey. It had its world premiere in Venice, its first-ever public screening. It is next set for its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, its first showing for audiences in the United States and Canada.

Bleecker Street, which credits Gibney as director, describes the film on its website as an incisive look behind the legend of Elon Musk. The documentary traces Musk's rise to power and examines controversies around him. It also considers potential risks to democracy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

After cinemas, the film has a television and streaming home lined up. It is set to debut on HBO's premium cable channel and on the HBO Max streaming platform, Deadline reported. That same report carried a teaser trailer for the film. Bleecker Street also lists Musk as in theatres this autumn and offers a first-look feature on its site.

For fans, this means an earlier chance to see it on the big screen. It also means planning the evening around a near-four-hour stay in the seat.