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Media163 outlets ran this4 min read

Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival

Alex Gibney's nearly four-hour film details the tech billionaire's rise and legacy.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival

What this story says

  • Alex Gibney's documentary 'Musk,' a nearly four-hour examination of Elon Musk's life and career, premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
  • The film uses a CGI avatar and AI voice syncing to simulate an interview with Musk, based on his past statements.
  • Ashley St. Clair, an ex-partner of Musk, appears in the film and stated she was offered $40 million not to speak after the birth of their child.
  • The documentary is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on October 16th and will stream on HBO Max.

Who covered it

Left 48%(46)Centre 31%(30)Right 21%(20)

Percentages are shares of the 96 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 67 of the 163 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

50/100

Craft

60/100

Hype

40/100

163 sources · methodology

The documentary 'Musk,' directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film, which runs for nearly four hours, investigates the rise and legacy of the tech billionaire Elon Musk. It traces his journey through his roles at Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter, and his emergence as a global figure.

The documentary employs a CGI avatar and AI voice syncing to simulate an interview with Musk, using phrases he has previously spoken. Director Alex Gibney stated this was an ironic choice, referencing Musk's own propositions about living in a simulation and his views on technology. The filmmakers consulted lawyers before proceeding with the avatar's use.

Ashley St. Clair, who shares a child with Musk, appears in the film and spoke at a press conference. She stated that she was offered $40 million not to speak publicly after giving birth to their child. St. Clair said she participated in the film to set an example for her children about speaking the truth. She also previously sued Musk's AI company over alleged deepfake images generated by its chatbot.

The film is produced by Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent. It is set for a U.S. theatrical release on October 16th and will subsequently stream on HBO Max.

Disagreement on film's focus

Associated Press News reported that the film "goes into Musk’s takeover of X and what Gibney says is the manipulation of the algorithm," quoting reporter Zoë Schiffer who stated Musk "has tweaked the algorithm, both to suppress mainstream journalism and then to augment some of the more inflammatory comments and voices on that platform." Associated Press News also stated the film "delves into his traumatic childhood, including an interview with his father, Errol Musk, and traces his early days in Silicon Valley through his DOGE work with the second Donald Trump administration and involvement in right-wing politics internationally." In contrast, Variety stated the film examines "Elon Musk’s MAGA Shift, Self-Driving Cars, Myths About Mars and More."

What the coverage left out

None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports below mention the film's U.S. theatrical release date of October 16th or its streaming on HBO Max.

Tags:#ElonMusk#AlexGibney#Documentary#VeniceFilmFestival#AI#AshleyStClair

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 8 Sept 2026, 20:30, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

46 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports led on the film's use of AI and simulated interviews, and the controversy surrounding Elon Musk. Associated Press News and Zeit Online highlighted the film's critical stance, with Zeit Online's headline stating the film "Is a Case for the Chainsaw." Associated Press News quoted director Alex Gibney on the "reality of what he’s done and unreality of his narrative" and his view that Musk "is extremely dangerous to democracy." They also reported on Ashley St. Clair's account of being offered $40 million and her lawsuit against Musk's AI company. Associated Press News and Liberation noted the film's examination of Musk's takeover of X and algorithm manipulation. Variety focused on "5 Biggest Revelations" from the documentary, including Musk's "MAGA Shift" and "Myths About Mars."

Centre

30 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the documentary's premiere at the Venice Film Festival and its length. Dark Horizons and Jornal Expresso highlighted the film's nearly four-hour runtime and its premiere. Dark Horizons mentioned Ashley St. Clair's statement about the $40 million offer and her motivation for participating in the film. Sud Ouest quoted director Alex Gibney saying, "I wanted to understand what game he was playing." IGN's headline noted that "Four Hours Is More Than Enough Time to Spend With Elon Musk, But the New Documentary Musk Should’ve Been More Comprehensive."

Right

20 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports focused on the documentary's premiere and its subject, Elon Musk. Dagens Nyheter's headline quoted director Alex Gibney stating, "Almost Everyone Was Terrified to Talk About Elon Musk," and mentioned a "breathtaking sense of fear" surrounding the project. Il Tempo's headline stated the documentary shows "the Real Face of the Billionaire USA." Globo reported that the film features "a Version of the Billionaire Created by IA."

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival?
Of the 96 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 48% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 21% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 163. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 96 rated outlets on this story, 48% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 21% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival biased?
Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival is one event reported by 163 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Elon Musk documentary premieres at Venice Film Festival?
163 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is the new documentary about Elon Musk called?
The new documentary about Elon Musk is titled 'Musk.' It is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
How long is the documentary 'Musk'?
The documentary 'Musk' is nearly four hours long, with a runtime of 232 minutes. It examines the rise and legacy of the tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Who is Ashley St. Clair and what does she say in the documentary?
Ashley St. Clair is an ex-partner of Elon Musk and appears in the documentary. She stated that she was offered $40 million not to speak publicly after giving birth to their child. She also mentioned participating in the film to set an example for her children.
How will the documentary 'Musk' be released?
The documentary 'Musk' is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on October 16th. Following its theatrical run, it will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.

Read it at the source

163 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

46
Show 38 more

Centre

30
Show 22 more

Right

20
Show 12 more

Not rated

67
Show 59 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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