Washington: Attorneys for Elon Musk served formal legal notice to the creators of a new four-hour documentary about the multibillionaire, asserting that the project contains defamatory material.

In a letter dated September 3, lawyer Alex Spiro accused Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions of framing the film around a pre-established narrative. The communication further alleged that Gibney failed to conduct fact-checking procedures with Musk or his close associates.

"This project did not begin as an inquiry. It began with a conclusion," Spiro wrote.

Despite the legal pushback, the film premiered on Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival, earning positive critical acclaim and a prolonged standing ovation. The documentary examines Musk's trajectory from his early days as a Silicon Valley dot-com entrepreneur to achieving multi-trillionaire status. Beyond his professional achievements, the film explores his private life, addressing his troubled upbringing and his 14 children. Critical coverage in outlets like Variety described the documentary as a "lacerating portrait," while Deadline noted it offered a "damning" depiction of Musk, portraying him as "petty, narcissistic, megalomaniacal, cruel."

A central point of contention in Spiro's letter involves a segment suggesting a conspiracy theory—specifically, that Musk possessed advance knowledge of Donald Trump's 2024 election victory due to the alleged use of Starlink satellites to affect the outcome.

The legal warning extends beyond Gibney and Jigsaw Productions to cover distribution and broadcast partners, including HBO, Bleecker Street, and Universal. Citing "reasonably anticipated" litigation, Spiro instructed the film's creators to retain all relevant records, including research materials, interview transcripts, unedited footage, and internal communications.

Responding via a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Jigsaw defended the project, emphasising that journalistically examining prominent public figures falls under First Amendment protections. The production company noted that this principle should be upheld by everyone, "including the associates of Elon Musk, who has proclaimed himself to be a 'free speech absolutist,'" the statement added.

To address Musk's refusal to participate directly in the project, the filmmakers incorporated an AI-driven avatar paired with a synthetic voice clone. This digital surrogate recites verified public statements made by Musk, simulating an interactive interview. Gibney noted the irony of using this technique given the billionaire's frequent commentary on artificial intelligence and simulation theory.

Musk has publicly criticised the project on his social media platform X, dismissing the documentary as a boring "hit piece that misses."

Gibney is well known for investigating high-profile subjects and institutions, having previously produced documentaries on the Church of Scientology, Enron, and cyber warfare. He earned an Academy Award for "Taxi to the Dark Side," an examination of U.S. military interrogation protocols in Afghanistan. (AFP)