Universal denies it is dropping Alex Gibney's Musk documentary

Universal says it is not walking away from Alex Gibney's Elon Musk documentary.

A spokesperson told Deadline on 18 September 2026 that the studio has no plans to ditch Musk. That followed a claim from The Hollywood Reporter that Universal was getting cold feet over its international release. Citing sources, Variety also reported on 18 September that Universal is moving forward as planned.

The confusion built quickly. The Hollywood Reporter reported on 17 September that Universal, owned by Comcast, had paid millions for rights outside the United States and was holding internal talks about whether to keep the film after a backlash. International rights here simply means the licence to put the film in cinemas outside the US.

Part of the tension is legal. Deadline reported that Universal ran an internal legal review after receiving the final copy shortly before the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Lawyers for Musk then sent a complaint letter to Gibney's production company Jigsaw. That letter reportedly named the film's distributors and was leaked to the New York Post.

Small signs fuelled the talk. Universal's logo did not appear on screen before the Venice launch. The studio did not block an announced screening at the London Film Festival.

The release is split by market and by format. Bleecker Street is handling the US cinema release, which was brought forward by one week to 9 October, according to Deadline. In the US, television and streaming are set for HBO. No international dates had been revealed despite the near US opening. Deadline reported Universal is lining up a first-quarter 2027 release.

The film is big in every sense. It runs to nearly four hours, according to The Playlist, which also reported Universal acquired it three years before September 2026. Gibney told Reuters that fear shadowed the making of the film, which traces Musk's rise from the dotcom era to global influence. He has also discussed Musk's global right-wing agenda in connection with the project.

What makes this stand out is the split. One film, several owners. Bleecker Street controls US cinemas. HBO has US television and streaming. Universal holds cinemas outside the US. A delay in one territory does not stop the others.