Alex Gibney's Nearly 4-Hour Elon Musk Documentary to Premiere at Venice Film Festival

Alex Gibney's documentary portrait of Elon Musk will premiere at the Venice Film Festival this September, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.

Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera revealed the selection while unveiling the festival's 2026 lineup. He highlighted the film's substantial length, which approaches four hours. "I invite you to look at the duration of the movie — four hours," Barbera said.

What does the documentary cover?

The film is described as a definitive and unvarnished examination of the tech entrepreneur. Barbera said Gibney "traces the whole career — the contradictions, and the conditioning power that is centralized in the hands of a single man." The festival chief characterized Musk as both "a genius of capitalist entrepreneurship" and "a dangerous technocrat, with no moral scruples."

How has Musk reacted?

Elon Musk has been openly critical of the project since it was first reported in 2023. He posted on X at the time, calling it "a hit piece." Gibney replied publicly, asking, "How would you know?"

The documentary's path to completion has been lengthy, with Gibney first revealing work on it in March 2023. The director reportedly delivered a finished cut in early 2025 but returned to editing as Musk continued to generate headlines, including his support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign and SpaceX's record-breaking IPO.

Bleecker Street will handle the U.S. theatrical release. HBO Documentary Films holds North American television and streaming rights, while Black Bear handles international sales.