Trailer lands for Alex Gibney's four-hour Musk as release moves to 9 October
The trailer for Alex Gibney's documentary Musk is out, and its cinema date has moved forward. Bleecker Street will now open the film on 9 October, according to Deadline.
Gibney directed the film. The new date is earlier than previously planned. A trailer, the short preview cut to sell tickets, is usually the point when a release campaign turns public.
The release will follow a platform pattern, the staggered rollout where a film starts in a few cities before going wider. It begins in New York City and Los Angeles on 9 October, then expands across the country.
Bleecker Street is handling the theatrical release. Its site lists select theatres on 9 October and a nationwide break on 16 October, according to Bleecker Street. The distributor's film page bills the title as Only In Select Theaters October 9.
The running time is unusual. The film plays nearly four hours, including an intermission, a short break in the middle. Long documentaries sometimes use one so audiences can leave their seats without missing story.
The interview list includes Justine Musk, Ashley St. Clair and Errol Musk. The film centres on businessman Elon Musk, with those voices set around archive and new material.
Musk premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 8 September. It then screened at the Toronto Film Festival and then at Camden. Festivals work as a launchpad, with press and industry audiences watching before a film reaches general release.
The film uses an AI-generated version of Elon Musk that speaks words he has uttered over the years, Reuters reported. Gibney said fear shadowed the making of the documentary. He made the remark in an interview on the Venice launch.
Opening day in New York comes with extras. Bleecker Street advertises a 1:30 p.m. question-and-answer with Gibney and special guest Ronan Farrow on 9 October, according to Bleecker Street. The same page lists events at AMC Lincoln Square, including a 7:00 p.m. introduction with Gibney.
What makes this stand out is the shape of the offer. A four-hour running time asks a lot of viewers. An early October start puts that demand straight to the public after the festival run.
