Venice Film Festival Highlights Murdoch and Musk Documentary Premiere
WHO:
The Guardian - Australian actor Guy Pearce plays Rupert Murdoch in the film Ink.
The Guardian - British-Irish director Martin McDonagh will showcase his new film Wild Horse Nine.
The Guardian - Real-life spouses Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem star in Bunker, directed by Florian Zeller.
The Guardian - Real-life sisters Kate and Rooney Mara star in Bucking Fastard, directed by Werner Herzog.
The Guardian - Liam and Noel Gallagher confirmed their attendance for the premiere of Oasis reunion documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger.
The Guardian - Russell Crowe is expected to attend a screening of What Love Builds.
The Guardian - Danny Boyle, Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, Guy Pearce, Alex Gibney, Alberto Barbera, Martin McDonagh, John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Kate Mara, Rooney Mara, Ilya Khrzhanovsky, Sergei Loznitsa, Laura Poitras, Nanni Moretti, May El-Toukhy, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Russell Crowe
The Hollywood Reporter - Alex Gibney, Elon Musk, HBO Documentary Films, Bleecker Street, Black Bear, Zhang Xin, Closer Media, Double Agent, Anonymous Content
WHAT:
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival will feature a total of 20 titles in the main competition, with only one female-directed film, Woman Unknown by May El-Toukhy.
The Guardian - Nanni Moretti's film Succederà Questa Notte (It Will Happen Tonight) will be shown in competition, marking his first film in Venice since 1989.
The Guardian - Danny Boyle’s film Ink focuses on Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of the Sun in 1969, which transformed public life in Britain.
The Guardian - The script for Ink is written by Olivier award-winning playwright James Graham.
The Guardian - Alex Gibney's documentary Musk will be screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival.
The Hollywood Reporter - Gibney's documentary Musk was first announced in March 2023 and was delivered in early 2025.
The Hollywood Reporter - Gibney's documentary Musk has been described as a "hit piece" by Musk, who also referred to Gibney as a "douche."
The Hollywood Reporter - Bleecker Street will handle the U.S. theatrical release of Musk, while HBO Documentary Films will manage North American television and streaming rights.
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival will feature a documentary about Elon Musk and a film titled Ink about Rupert Murdoch.
The Guardian - Ink will open the festival on September 2, with Guy Pearce portraying Rupert Murdoch.
The Guardian - Alex Gibney's documentary Musk has a runtime of 232 minutes, just shy of four hours.
The Hollywood Reporter - The documentary Musk will premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters on October 16.
The Hollywood Reporter - SpaceX's IPO raised approximately $75 billion at a valuation of around $1.8 trillion.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival is known for profiling itself as the glitziest of the big three European film festivals.
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival will take place on the Lido.
The Hollywood Reporter - The documentary Musk will be screened at the Venice Film Festival.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival is the 83rd edition, running from September 2 to September 12.
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival will run from September 2 to September 12.
The Hollywood Reporter - The documentary Musk will be released in U.S. theaters on October 16.
WHY:
The Guardian - The Venice Film Festival aims to profile itself as the glitziest of the big three European film festivals.
The Hollywood Reporter - Gibney's documentary Musk aims to explore the contradictions and centralized power in Musk's career, portraying him as both a genius of capitalist entrepreneurship and a dangerous technocrat.
The Hollywood Reporter - Gibney's documentary aims to provide a "definitive and unvarnished examination" of Elon Musk's career and influence.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Alex Gibney's documentary traces Musk's career, highlighting contradictions and the concentration of power in his hands.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 23:18 UTC)
The Venice Film Festival is gearing up for its 83rd edition, set to run from September 2 to September 12, and will feature a total of 20 titles in the main competition, including only one female-directed film, Woman Unknown by May El-Toukhy. Among the notable attendees are Australian actor Guy Pearce, who plays Rupert Murdoch in the film Ink, and real-life spouses Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who star in Bunker, directed by Florian Zeller. Additionally, Liam and Noel Gallagher have confirmed their attendance for the premiere of the Oasis reunion documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger, while Russell Crowe is expected at a screening of What Love Builds.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 21:21 UTC)
Danny Boyle's upcoming film, Ink, focuses on Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of the Sun in 1969, a pivotal moment that transformed public life in Britain, with a script penned by Olivier award-winning playwright James Graham. Meanwhile, Alex Gibney's documentary Musk will be screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which is renowned for being the glitziest of the big three European film festivals, and is set to explore the complexities of Musk's career, portraying him as both a genius and a dangerous technocrat. Bleecker Street will handle the U.S. theatrical release of Musk, while HBO Documentary Films will manage the North American television and streaming rights.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 19:29 UTC)
The Venice Film Festival will showcase a documentary about Elon Musk and a film titled Ink, which features Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, opening the festival on September 2. Alex Gibney's documentary Musk, running just shy of four hours, will premiere at the festival and hit U.S. theaters on October 16, aiming to provide a definitive examination of Musk's career and influence. Additionally, SpaceX's recent IPO raised approximately $75 billion, valuing the company at around $1.8 trillion.