Meta has reversed its decision to reject advertising for a forthcoming documentary about Elon Musk, according to a company spokesperson. The social media company told TechCrunch on Saturday that the ads for director Alex Gibney’s film, titled “Musk,” were being restored. The spokesperson attributed the earlier rejection to an error. The reversal follows reporting that multiple platforms had turned away paid promotion for the documentary’s trailer.
YouTube also said Saturday that the trailer had never been unavailable on its service, and that it had only been temporarily restricted when submitted as an advertisement. The company said the ad has now been cleared to run following a review. TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and X had all been reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday as refusing to run paid ads promoting the trailer. X’s rejection was widely expected, as Musk owns the platform and has publicly disparaged Gibney.
Meta, TikTok, and YouTube were reported to have cited restrictions on political content as the reason for rejecting the ad. Meta announced last year that it would stop accepting political ads in the European Union, while TikTok says it does not run them at all. It remains unclear how a documentary trailer qualifies as campaign advertising. Bleecker Street, the film’s U.S. distributor, told The Hollywood Reporter that it had appealed the rejections.
Gibney’s previous work includes “Going Clear,” about the Church of Scientology, and “The Inventor,” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, along with a movie about Steve Jobs. “Musk” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month and has drawn almost universally positive reviews, holding a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on October 9.
Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri described the nearly four-hour film as a revealing examination of Musk’s technology career, his alliance with President Donald Trump, and his personal life. Interview subjects include ex-wife Justine Musk and former right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair, who recently had a child with Musk but now describes him in harsh terms. Ebiri called the documentary a fascinating character study, adding that it is revealing as a business story and terrifying as a warning about the future.
Despite the critical reception, The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Universal Pictures was wavering on distributing the film internationally, reportedly out of concern about angering the Trump administration. Universal later said it will release the documentary in theaters but is still determining its release strategy. TechCrunch has also sought comment from TikTok, X, and Bleecker Street.
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