Topline<\/p>\n
Even though he has called the Oscars \u201cunwatchable,\u201d billionaire Elon Musk could find himself at the center of next year\u2019s Academy Awards ceremony, as a documentary about his life and a film about OpenAI look to be in contention\u2014alongside \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d which Musk has relentlessly criticized.<\/p>\n
“Musk,” a documentary, and “Artificial,” which features an actor playing Musk, are set to hit theaters later this year. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci, File)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reservedKey Facts<\/p>\n
Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, will be portrayed on screen twice this year\u2014once in \u201cMusk,\u201d a documentary by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney, and again in Luca Guadagnino\u2019s \u201cArtificial,\u201d a dramatized account of Sam Altman\u2019s brief ouster at OpenAI that also features a portrayal of Musk in a supporting role.<\/p>\n
The distribution companies behind both films have announced plans to campaign for Oscars consideration, including a Best Picture run for \u201cMusk,\u201d which could be the first documentary ever nominated for the top prize.<\/p>\n
Musk, meanwhile, has repeatedly slammed<\/a> the Oscars as \u201cunwatchable\u201d with \u201cpathetic ratings,\u201d and he has amplified misinformation about diversity requirements movies must meet to be considered for awards.<\/p>\n Musk has already made a splash over the next awards season, emerging as a vocal critic of one surefire Oscar contender\u2014\u201cThe Odyssey\u201d\u2014and leading an anti-woke contingent that has accused director Christopher Nolan of erasing Greek people by hiring a diverse cast.<\/p>\n Film critics, though, have largely dismissed Musk\u2019s opinion of \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d and bestowed it with a near-perfect 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, with several critics specifically rebuffing Musk<\/a> in their reviews. <\/p>\n what to watch for<\/p>\n What critics say about \u201cMusk\u201d and \u201cArtificial,\u201d and whether either movie manages to rack up awards nominations. Awards season<\/a> kicks off with the Golden Globe nominations on Dec. 7\u2014typically an indicator of Oscars success\u2014followed by the awards presentation on Jan. 10. Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 21, followed by the ceremony on March 14.<\/p>\n What Do We Know About The \u201cArtificial\u201d Release?<\/p>\n \u201cArtificial,\u201d directed by \u201cCall Me By Your Name\u201d Oscar nominee Guadagnino, does not yet have a release date, though it recently secured a distributor after Amazon MGM Studios dropped it. Amazon, which announced a $50 billion investment in OpenAI earlier this year, said<\/a> in June the movie would be \u201cbetter served if it were released by a different studio.\u201d The decision to drop \u201cArtificial\u201d shocked filmmakers, the New York Times reported, as Amazon had been supportive up to that point and had spent $40 million to produce the movie. Neon, the distributor behind Best Picture winners \u201cParasite\u201d and \u201cAnora,\u201d secured the rights to \u201cArtificial\u201d weeks later. The movie centers Altman, played by Andrew Garfield, and how he was fired and re-hired<\/a> as OpenAI\u2019s chief executive within a matter of days in 2023. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, is played by Ike Barinholtz in a supporting role. Variety reported<\/a> earlier this month the movie portrays Altman as a \u201cpathological liar\u201d and Musk as a \u201cvillain.\u201d<\/p>\n What Do We Know About The \u201cMusk\u201d Documentary?<\/p>\n Not much, aside from a release date: \u201cMusk\u201d will open in theaters on Oct. 16, Variety<\/a> reported, distributed by Bleecker Street. Variety reported Bleecker Street plans to submit \u201cMusk\u201d for all eligible Oscars categories, including Best Picture, which would be an unprecedented nomination for a documentary. Gibney said<\/a> in 2023 the film would be a \u201cdefinitive and unvarnished examination\u201d of Musk and his impact on the world. After the project was announced, Musk said in a post<\/a> on X that Gibney is \u201ca douche.\u201d Gibney previously won the Oscar for best documentary feature in 2008 for \u201cTaxi to the Dark Side.\u201d<\/p>\n What Has Musk Said About \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d?<\/p>\n For months, Musk has attacked<\/a> \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d and Nolan in posts on X, accusing Nolan of being \u201cracist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage\u201d by hiring a diverse cast. He has particularly targeted Lupita Nyong\u2019o, a Black actress cast to play Helen of Troy, and Elliot Page, a transgender actor who plays Sinon, cousin of Odysseus. Musk\u2019s posts about \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d have been riddled with misinformation, including claims Page would play Achilles, which is untrue, as well as misrepresentations about diversity standards for Academy Awards consideration. Musk boosted a claim that a movie\u2019s cast must be 30% non-white or non-straight to qualify, though this is just one of several standards that could be met. A critic for the Arizona Republic<\/a>, Bill Goodykoontz, called Musk\u2019s anti-woke tirade \u201cracist and ugly\u201d and urged him to \u201csee the damn movie,\u201d which he gave five stars.<\/p>\n surprising fact<\/p>\n Musk and Altman won\u2019t be the only billionaires hitting the big screen this year. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be portrayed by Jeremy Strong in \u201cThe Social Reckoning,\u201d the sequel to 2010 Oscar nominee \u201cThe Social Network.\u201d Whereas the first movie focused on Zuckerberg\u2019s founding of Facebook, the upcoming film covers a series of articles the Wall Street Journal<\/a> published in 2021 that showed Facebook was aware of harmful effects of its social media platforms, based on documents leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen.<\/p>\n forbes valuation<\/p>\n Musk is worth $847.9 billion as of Thursday, according to Forbes estimates<\/a>, making him the wealthiest person in the world. Musk became the world\u2019s first trillionaire last month after taking SpaceX public, though his net worth has since declined<\/a> as the value of SpaceX shares have dipped. Musk owns 38% of SpaceX and about 11% of Tesla.<\/p>\n further reading<\/p>\n