Overview
- Universal, which bought international rights in 2023, issued a statement saying it plans to release Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour film overseas while it finalizes a release strategy.
- The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month and was met with a strong audience reaction before Elon Musk publicly denounced the film and his lawyer Alex Spiro sent a pre-release legal notice.
- Reports that Universal had gone quiet and might return rights to the filmmakers prompted criticism, but studio spokespeople and insiders have since indicated the company is likely to proceed rather than shelve the film.
- U.S. theatrical release is controlled separately by Bleecker Street, which has dated the film for early October, and HBO holds North American TV and streaming rights with a planned window after the theatrical run.
- If Universal ultimately withdraws it would likely pay a contractual kill fee and the filmmakers could resell foreign rights, a scenario that raises broader questions about how big media companies handle politically sensitive projects and potential regulatory fallout.