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Elon Musk’s Controversial Documentary Just Hit a Major Roadblock

The studio may return rights or pay a kill fee as festival buzz grows and political concerns reshape plans for the four-hour film.

  • Universal Pictures is reconsidering the release of a documentary about Elon Musk acquired three years ago, as the studio has not dated the film and appears to be rethinking the project due to its current political sensitivity.
  • The documentary is considered politically sensitive for parts of the Trump administration, with Musk now a central figure in government—a sharp shift from when the studio purchased the film three years ago.
  • Last week, Musk attorney Alex Spiro sent Jigsaw Productions a letter placing the team on formal legal notice regarding allegations the film investigates whether Musk could use data gathered during his DOGE period against Democrats.
  • Two sources familiar with the situation believe Universal will ultimately decide against releasing the film, potentially paying a kill fee to return the rights and allowing filmmakers to sell the project elsewhere.
  • HBO, which holds North American streaming rights, could air the film by February pending a four-month pay VOD window, following significant buzz from festival premieres in Venice and Toronto.
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MSNBCTV NEWS broke the news on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
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