Alex Gibney, the filmmaker behind the expansive three-hour-and-45-minute documentary “Musk,” spoke to The New York Times about his extensive efforts to secure an on-the-record interview with the tech mogul and the reasons he believes Universal Pictures hesitated to schedule an international release for the project.
Although Musk is not featured in the finished film—Gibney utilized an avatar to simulate conversations—this was not due to a lack of effort. The director explained that he and producer Jessie Deeter made multiple attempts to contact him. “Deeter knew him from two previous films. She had his cellphone number. She had an email address,” Gibney said. “She wrote sometimes folksy, sometimes detailed notes about how much we wanted his perspective. His response was writing ‘Gibney is a douche’ on Twitter.”
Before the film’s premiere, Musk publicly dismissed the documentary as a “hit piece,” stating that “dogshit is worth more respect,” and accusing Gibney of having “ZERO integrity” while labeling him a “horrible human.”
Gibney further noted that he approached numerous friends and business associates of the billionaire, many of whom declined to speak on the record. “A lot of them said, ‘I can’t talk to you because Elon won’t give you permission,’” the director recounted. He identified Ashley St. Clair, Musk’s former partner and the mother of his 14th child, and his first wife, Justine Musk, as significant potential subjects for the documentary.
Despite reports earlier this month that the documentary would receive an international release notwithstanding legal threats from the SpaceX founder, Gibney confirmed with a straightforward “Yes” that the studio had indeed wavered on those plans when the question was raised. Addressing the uncertainty, Gibney responded: “Were they concerned that in this political environment, a film about the world’s richest man was problematic? Maybe, but you have to ask them.”
Universal Pictures declined to offer additional comment, referring back to a previous statement: “We’ve always been committed to releasing this film, and our plans haven’t changed.”
“Musk” aims to contextualize the world’s wealthiest individual and his disproportionate impact on global affairs, exploring his transition into a MAGA supporter, controversies surrounding his Mars colonization ambitions and Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, and his complicated relationships with several of the mothers of his children.
The documentary premiered in theaters on Friday through Bleecker Street, grossing $68,900 across four locations, averaging $17,225 per screen.
