Alex Gibney's documentary "Musk" will arrive in United States theaters next month. Universal says it remains committed to releasing it overseas but has yet to set dates. Strong festival reviews for "Musk," a scorching documentary about Elon Musk, have prompted its United States distributor to move up the film's release by a week, to Oct. 9.

Overseas, however, Universal Pictures has yet to announce any release dates. The uncertainty has led some members of the movie's filmmaking team to wonder whether political considerations are influencing the rollout. Universal's response: The overseas release is all systems go — it simply needs more time to set dates across dozens of markets.

"Musk," directed by Alex Gibney, had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month and was subsequently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary, which has dazzled most critics so far, runs nearly four hours, including a 10-minute intermission. The film scrutinizes Mr. Musk's businesses and political influence, in particular his work as a senior adviser to President Trump and his association with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

"Musk" was produced by Jigsaw Productions and Anonymous Content. Bleecker Street holds the domestic theatrical rights and will release "Musk" on Oct. 9 in New York and Los Angeles. A national run will start on Oct. 16. Universal acquired overseas distribution rights for "Musk" in 2023, paying several million dollars. So far, Universal has not announced any release dates, leading some of the people involved with the documentary worried that Universal could be having second thoughts.