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Alex Gibney is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, and he’s bringing his signature investigative lens to one of the most shocking events in recent American history. Hulu is set to air the untitled Luigi Mangione documentary, about the 26-year-old accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024 on a busy New York City sidewalk (via Deadline)

Alex Gibney has previously exposed corruption and abuse of power in his films Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. Now, we’ll see him unpack an event that transfixed the entire nation. So, let’s look at what the upcoming documentary will feature and...

Alex Gibney has made a career out of documenting the injustices perpetrated by large corporations and institutions, from Enron to the Catholic Church. But his latest project revolves around a solitary man - Elon Musk.

Per Variety, Musk will be an "incisive look behind the legend of Elon Musk. Gibney has been continuously expanding the film's scope to unveil a rich portrait, even as history unfolds in real-time." Bleecker Street's theatrical release of the documentary will precede its streaming debut on HBO Max. HBO Documentary Film pre-purchased its North American streaming and TV rights, while Universal Pictures owns the international distribution rights.

To chronicle the life and influence of Elon Musk is a daunting task,...

Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney’s long-awaited Elon Musk documentary has locked down a deal for a run in U.S. cinemas ahead of its streaming launch on HBO Max.

HBO Documentary Films and Universal Pictures have teamed up with indie distributor Bleecker Street to bring the film — which is titled, simply, Musk — to theaters. The partners describe the film as “an incisive look behind the legend of Elon Musk, the world’s most heralded ‘inventor-entrepreneur’ who has enormous influence on the world in which we all live.”

The deal was unveiled on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s kick-off of the Venice Film Festival in Italy.

Word leaked that Gibney was working on a Musk documentary as far back as March 2023, but the film has yet to receive a release date. HBO and its partners hint that Musk’s ongoing prominence in the global news cycle has made it challenging for...

Ever wondered how smart, successful people end up drinking poisoned Kool-Aid or branding themselves like cattle? These cult documentaries will give you some alarming answers. What’s truly unsettling is realizing that under the right circumstances, literally anyone can fall victim to psychological manipulation.

These films don’t just sensationalize tragedy; they reveal the sophisticated mind games that break down independent thinking and create blind devotion. From innocent self-help groups to doomsday prophecies, cults are thriving in modern society, often hiding in plain sight.

Get ready for ten documentaries that’ll make you question everything about human psychology and groupthink.

1. The Vow (2020-2022) Stills from The Vow (2020) | Credits: HBO

If...

If you’re looking for a great documentary to watch on HBO Max, you’ve come to the right place. The streaming service not only plays host to a library of great HBO documentaries, but some streaming originals and engrossing docuseries as well, ranging from true crime to celebrity to emotional slice-of-life. Below we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best documentaries on HBO Max right now. They’re all guaranteed to scratch that documentary itch, and more than one doc on this list ends with a shocking confession.

Pee-wee as Himself Paul Reubens in the documentary “Pee-wee as Himself” (HBO)

The two-part Pee-wee documentary that debuted earlier this year is among the best things HBO has released – a revealing, candid and shocking chronicle of the life of Paul Reubens, with confessional interviews recorded as he was secretly battling health issues. Reubens discusses his sexuality openly...

Prime Video truly has something for everyone on its summer lineup — from the topsy-turvy teen drama We Were Liars to the action-packed Countdown. But those looking for a more grown-up whodunnit featuring two of the best actresses in the biz, well, they know to look no further than the streamer’s thriller series, The Better Sister. Starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks, the series follows in the footsteps of Alafair Burke’s 2019 novel, and tells the story of a family torn apart by murder. While the performances of its leading and supporting cast drive the plot and keep audiences engaged, it’s the soundtrack composed by Will Bates that further launches the intrigue and informs viewers how to feel from one scene to the next. Today, Collider is thrilled to share an exclusive first listen to the track “A Complicated History” ahead of the album’s July 11 release by Lakeshore Records.

Jay Duplass and the acclaimed documentary filmmakers behind “Boys State” and “Girls State” emerged big winners at this year’s Nantucket Film Festival.

Awards were handed out Monday at the 30th installment of the intimate island affair. The Duplass-directed “The Baltimorons” took the narrative feature audience award. Written by Duplass and Michael Strassner, the film follows an unlikely connection between a sober man and his emergency dentist. Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s “Middletown,” about a high school class exposed to an environmental disaster in the ’90s, took the documentary feature audience award.

“This year’s festival was a vibrant celebration of cinema and storytelling over the last thirty years. From ground-breaking independent features to thought-provoking documentaries, we are proud to continue to offer the Nantucket audience diverse stories that reflect the tapestry of the island,” said executive director Mystelle Brabbée and lead programmer Anita Raswant.

In the shorts category,...

Shows like ‘Band of Brothers,’ ‘Home Improvement,’ ‘Insecure,’ and others will be leaving Netflix starting next month.

Content licensing can be a fickle feature of streaming services. It can be a great thing when it allows subscribers of a service like Netflix to watch shows and movies that are typically only found on other streaming services, but all good things must come to an end. Netflix customers are going to have to learn that lesson the hard way starting in July, when titles licensed from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery will begin leaving the service.

Key Details: Get ‘em while you can: Removals of Disney and Wbd-owned shows will begin on July 1. Popular picks: Titles like “Home Improvement,” “Sex and the City,” and others will be departing. Not just Disney and Wbd: Titles licensed from AMC will start to leave Netflix in August. Sign Up $9.99+ / month max via prime video...

The 2025 Nantucket Film Festival has set the feature film lineup, honorees and signature programs for its 30th anniversary edition.

The festival will open with two Sundance Audience Award winners, the Dylan O’Brien-Lauren Graham film Twinless and the documentary Prime Minister about former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz. The closing night film is teen orators documentary Speak, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman. The centerpiece film is National Geographic’s Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story documentary, providing an authorized look inside the making of Jaws.

“This year’s slate of films continues to celebrate bold and independent voices close to home and across the world,” Nff senior programmer Basil Tsiokos and lead programmer Anita Raswant said in a statement. “We invite our audiences to explore a wide range of work that honors the power of storytelling — and, in turn, our...

Alex Gibney has sold a majority stake in his documentary-focused New York-based Jigsaw Productions to US philanthropist Wendy Schmidt.

Gibney, whose credits include Sundance Scientology doc Going Clear and Oscar winner Taxi To The Dark Side, said the sale to Schmidt –the wife of former Google chief exec Eric Schmidt –is designed to ensure the company is “around for the long haul”.

The renowned filmmaker retains his leadership role but admitted that the sale had been prompted by market conditions.

“We’ve been managing to make films on important social issues for a long time, but finding and getting those...

In a sign of just how difficult the documentary film business has become, Alex Gibney – one of the most prolific and well-known documentarians – has sold a majority stake in his company Jigsaw Productions to make sure it’s “around for the long haul.”

Wendy Schmidt, a longtime philanthropist and wife of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has acquired a majority stake in Jigsaw, which has produced a number of documentary films and TV series like the Scientology doc “Going Clear,” the Elizabeth Holmes doc “The Inventor” and 2005’s “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.”

Gibney will continue to run the company, but told the New York Times — which broke the news — that the challenging market for documentaries spurred the partnership.

“We’ve been managing to make films on important social issues for a long time, but finding and getting those stories to audiences has been a challenge, in part...

Leah Remini is remembering her Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder with an emotional tribute. Rinder died Jan. 5 at the age of 69.

“On Sunday, we lost a giant, and I lost a man who was more than a friend—he was my family,” Remini wrote in a statement on social media. “It’s impossible to imagine the last 13 years of my life without Mike Rinder. He was my anchor, my trusted partner, and my closest confidant. The thought of moving forward without him feels unbearable.”

Remini and Rinder teamed on Scientology and the Aftermath, which ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2019. Rinder was nominated for two Emmys for his work, winning one.

“When I left Scientology, Mike was one of the first people I turned to. From that moment, he became my lifeline,” she continued. “Together, we embarked on an incredible journey that included The Aftermath and our podcast,...

Leah Remini has released an emotional statement about her Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder, who died on Jan. 5 after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 69.

“On Sunday, we lost a giant, and I lost a man who was more than a friend—he was my family,” Remini wrote Tuesday on social medial “It’s impossible to imagine the last 13 years of my life without Mike Rinder. He was my anchor, my trusted partner, and my closest confidant. The thought of moving forward without him feels unbearable.” Read her full tribute below:

More from TVLineJoan Plowright, Tony Award Winner,...

Mike Rinder, the former senior Scientologist who with fellow ex-member Leah Remini exposed the organization via a podcast and an Emmy-winning docuseries, has died. He was 69.

“This is the last post on this site. I have shuffled off this mortal coil in accordance with the immutable law that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes,” Rinder wrote in a final post written on his personal blog. “My only real regret is not having achieved what I said I wanted to — ending the abuses of Scientology”

In June 2023, journalist and Scientology expert Tony Ortega had shared that Rinder had advanced esophageal cancer. On Sunday, Ortega wrote on X, “Mike Rinder sent us an email today, to let us know that he had shuffled off this mortal coil. That was so like him, thoughtful to the end. We’re just coming to grips with this news.”

“I am heartbroken...

Mike Rinder, co-host of A&e’s Emmy-winning series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” died Jan. 5. He was 69.

Rinder’s death was shared by his wife, Christie King Collbran, on Instagram, with no cause of death listed. However, Rinder was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer back in June 2023.

Collbran wrote: “Rest in peace, my sweet, beautiful husband. I speak for so many when I say the sadness and pain we feel mirror the depth of our unwavering love for you. Your courage, bravery, and integrity are unmatched and will forever inspire us. You have been the pillar of stability in our lives, filling our days with your strength, wisdom, love, laughter and devotion. The world will remember you. My best friend, my hero, my love, Michael John Rinder.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike Rinder (@rindermike)

Rinder was raised as a Scientologist and served executive roles as the international spokesperson,...

Following the success of last year's Mario movie, two documentaries are in the works about Luigi. Mangione, that is. Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions will assemble one of the Mangione documentaries. Over the last 20 years, Gibney has made some of the best documentaries about the decay of modern life, including...

It was bound to happen, we just didn't anticipate it happening this fast, but a documentary about Luigi Mangione — the man who shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO — is already in the works. Under the direction of Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, the film will no doubt dig into the machinations behind the murder and why the 26-year-old has become something of a uniting folk hero in American society.

Gibney will produce and direct the film for Anonymous Content and his own Jigsaw Productions. According to Variety, "The new doc ... will explore how killers are created, what this killing says about our society, and the values we place on who lives and who dies."

Who are Luigi Mangione, Alex Gibney, and What Do We Know So Far About the Doc? Booking photo of Luigi Mangione (QQ7787): https://t.co/5VIC4r4s0T pic.twitter.com/XKmJhxTl9V— Pa Department of...

Anonymous Content and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions are teaming up to develop and produce a documentary project about the December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

From the crime’s seemingly meticulous execution to the alleged killer’s manifesto and his Ivy League background to the public’s unapologetic apathy towards the victim, the investigative deep dive will ask how killers are created, what this killing says about our society and the values we place on who lives and who dies.

Thompson, who became UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in April 2021 after more than 20 years at the company, was shot and killed on the morning of December 4th in midtown Manhattan. The shooting has sparked a national conversation around Americans’ frustration with the healthcare industry and health insurance companies’ denial of claims and care, as well as rising costs. According to multiple news sources, UnitedHealthcare has the highest claim denial rate among American insurance companies,...

Ah, the tangled web of Hollywood relationships! It brings to mind the saying, “You can’t really know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes”. So, let’s put on the oddly shaped shoes of Katie Holmes and journey back to the time when her marriage with Tom Cruise was making more headlines. It’s time to rewind the clock and revisit the juicy details of a celebrity union that had more layers than an onion.

Tom Cruise in a still from Taps | Credit: 20th Century Fox

Now, Holmes has mostly kept mum about her split from Cruise, but rumors suggest her decision to leave the action star had a lot to do with her desire to shield her daughter from the Church of Scientology’s, shall we say, peculiarities.

Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise: The Scientology Saga Revisited as Suri Cruise Turned 18

You know what they say: “When the going gets tough,...

From Naples to Gotham City, let Max pick your end-of-summer destination!

This September, leading up to the release of the highly anticipated HBO Original series “The Penguin,” starring Colin Farrell as Batman’s avian antagonist, Max has also curated a “DC Universe” collection, including the Michael Keaton-led “Batman” films beginning with 1989’s “Batman,” the hit adult-animated series “Harley Quinn,” and the 11-time Emmy-winning “Watchmen,” among many others.

But beyond Gotham, it’s a busy month for HBO and Max, which will premiere the fourth and final season of “My Brilliant Friend,” based on Elena Ferrante’s novels, as well as the two-part Original Documentary “Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos,” an up-close look at the creative process behind the cultural phenomenon and HBO anchor.

Also new to the streamer’s collection this month are several titles from Discovery, Food Network, and more, including Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki...

Longtime broadcast journalist and author Jane Pauley and documentarian/director Alex Gibney have been tapped to receive lifetime achievement awards at the 45th annual News & Documentary Emmys. The honors were revealed Wednesday by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Pauley, currently the host of “CBS News Sunday Morning,” will receive her award during the news ceremony portion of the awards on Wed., September 25, while Gibney will be honored during the Documentary ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 26. Both ceremonies will take place at New York’s Palladium Times Square, and be streamed on NATAS’ viewing app.

Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS, said: “We are honored to pay tribute to these two revered icons of our industry. Jane Pauley and Alex Gibney continue to reach viewers while at the same time opening doors for those coming behind them,” said NATAS president/CEO Adam Sharp in a statement. “This honor...

The lore of “The Sopranos” is dissected in buzzy two-part documentary “Wise Guy: David Chase and ‘The Sopranos.'”

The feature, which debuted at Tribeca 2024, is directed by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, who once again partners with HBO after helming “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley” and “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” Per the official synopsis, the documentary “delves deep into the psyche of renowned ‘Sopranos’ creator and writer, David Chase, to illuminate his life and career while offering a unique window into his unparalleled work on the iconic program.”

Of course, as “Sopranos” fans know, the series debuted 25 years ago in 1999.

For “Wise Guy,” director Gibney puts series creator Chase in the psychiatrist’s chair to analyze the origins of the iconic show that drew upon his own upbringing in north New Jersey. Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, and...

HBO on Tuesday announced that Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, a two-part documentary on the premium cabler’s iconic mob drama The Sopranos and the visionary behind it, will premiere on September 7. The two parts will air consecutively, beginning at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt on the 7th, and will also be available to stream on Max.

A trailer was also unveiled, which you can view above.

25 years after the show first debuted, HBO’s paradigm-shifting series The Sopranos remains a cultural phenomenon and a touchstone for prestige television. In Wise Guy, Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief) delves deep into the psyche of Sopranos creator and writer, David Chase, to illuminate his life and career while offering a unique window into his unparalleled work on the iconic program.

On a replica set of Dr. Melfi’s psychiatrist’s office, Gibney flips the script on Chase,...

Salman Rushdie will be the center of a new documentary from Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director behind “Taxi to the Dark Side” snd “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” Tentatively titled “Knife,” the docu is inspired by Rushdie’s memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” which was published in April.

The book is an account of the author’s life and career, and also depicts the 2022 assassination attempt against the Indian-born, British-American novelist and the long recovery that followed. Rushdie was stabbed 15 times in in Chautauqua, N.Y. by a 24-year old New Jersey man with a knife. Rushdie’s neck, eye, and chest were targeted, causing the writer to collapse on stage during a talk he was giving at Chautauqua’s amphitheater stage.

Rushdie, 76, lost vision in one eye and was left incapacitated in one hand after the attempted murder.

Gibney’s “Knife” will explore Rushdie...

Documentarians Brett Morgen and Alex Gibney paid tribute to “Super Size Me” filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who died at 53 on Thursday of complications from cancer.

Morgen — whose films include “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” about legendary producer Robert Evans; “Jane,” about celebrated anthropologist Jane Goodall; and “Moonage Daydream,” about David Bowie — wrote that the Oscar-nominated Spurlock “actually changed the world with his art.”

He was referring to the 2004 film “Super Size Me,” in which Spurlock ate only at McDonald’s for 30 days. After the Oscar-nominated movie’s release and gargantuan success, the fast food chain discontinued its “super size” promotional campaign.

“Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art. He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time. My heart breaks for his family and friends,” Morgen wrote on social media.

“Going Clear” director Alex Gibney tweeted,...

The South by Southwest debut of “Stormy” was not your typical Imagine Documentaries premiere.

About adult film star Stormy Daniels’ alleged affair with former President Donald Trump, the film drew an eclectic crowd that included porn stars and “Muppet” director-producer Frank Oz, who sat in the same row as Daniels and her entourage made up mainly of buff bodyguards. Dogs sniffed Austin’s Stateside Theater prior to the screening. After it unspooled, Daniels spoke to the SXSW audience, revealing that she first met “Stormy” exec producer Judd Apatow when he hired her for a small part in his 2005 film “40 Year-Old Virgin.” When she was a no-show due to a death in the family, Apatow sent her flowers and rescheduled her shoot date.

“I thought he would replace me,” Daniels, who would go on to appear in “Knocked Up” for the filmmaker, told the crowd, with director Sarah Gibson standing nearby.

Filmmaker Raoul Peck’s next documentary will delve into the 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise. The film, tentatively titled “The Hands That Held the Knives,” has been in production for over two years.

The documentary will be a thriller “in the tradition of Graham Greene or John Le Carré,” according to a press release. It will offer access to people involved in the murder of Moise, who was shot inside his home in July 2021. It will also feature secret footage from Haiti’s prisons and an encounter with a fugitive who witnessed the killing.

“The Hands That Held the Knives” will attempt to unpack Haiti’s politics, its relationship with the United States, as well as corrupt business empires and criminal organizations that deal drugs and contraband throughout the Caribbean. Per the official announcement, “the film will take us right up to the present moment, as ruthless gangs backed...

Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams) has been set to direct Mind vs. Machine, a new docuseries on the lightning rod topic of artificial intelligence from Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Emmy-winning producers Alyssa Fedele & Zachary Fink of Collective Hunch.

Gibney comes to the project after working with Closer Media and Anonymous Content on the forthcoming documentary Musk, to be distributed by HBO/Universal. Within the last year, his Jigsaw has also teamed with the companies on the MGM+ acquired documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon and the Raoul Peck-helmed Orwell on 1984 author George Orwell, to be distributed by Neon.

As artificial intelligence bursts onto the world stage – and into our lives – it may seem like a radical new life form has suddenly been created. But as Mind vs. Machine illustrates,...

Key Art for June, streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Don Hunstein/Sony Music Entertainment/Courtesy of Paramount+ Paramount+ has revealed the official trailer and key art for June, the new feature-length documentary spotlighting legendary country singer-songwriter June Carter Cash. Directed by Emmy(R) Award-winner Kristen Vaurio (Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief), the film will premiere on the service Tuesday, January 16 in the U.S. and Canada, and on Wednesday, January 17 in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Produced by Sandbox Productions, Sony Music Vision and Maxine Productions (a part of Sony Pictures Television), June shines an important spotlight on the history of country music and the mark the Carter and Cash families made on the genre before diving into the complex life of the legendary June Carter Cash. The five-time Grammy(R) Award-winning singer, comedian, musician, actor and author has opened for Elvis,...

Daryl McCormack as Colman and Ruth Wilson as Lorna in ‘The Woman in the Wall’ (Photo Credit: Chris Barr / BBC / Showtime)

Paramount+’s January 2024 lineup includes the series premiere of Sexy Beast, a prequel to the critically acclaimed, award-winning drama released in 2000 and starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone. The streaming service’s also kicking off the new year with the debut of The Woman in the Wall, a six-episode series starring Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) and Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters).

June Carter Cash is the focus of June, a feature-length documentary directed by Emmy Award-winner Kristen Vaurio (Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief) arriving on January 16. January 2024 also sees the return of SkyMed, a medical drama set in the world of medics and pilots who fly air ambulances in Canada, for its second season.

Coming to Paramount+ on January 1

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The calendar will soon switch to January and Paramount+ will say goodbye to the holidays and ring in the new season: awards. The road to the Oscars is now in full force, and Paramount+ will bring glitz and glam to its Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on Sunday, Jan. 7 with the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, celebrating the best of this past year’s film and television, including “Maestro,” “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” “Succession,” “The Bear,” and more.

But if you’re starry-eyed for more than just statuettes, the streamer is adding dozens of originals and library titles alike, including the new British comedy series “Sexy Beast” and this year’s critically acclaimed “You Hurt My Feelings” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Find out what The Streamable has for our top picks this month and check out the full list of everything coming to the platform this January!

Get 30 Days Free $5.99+ / month paramountplus.

Paramount+ has announced premiere dates for June, a documentary on country legend June Carter Cash, produced by Emmy winner Kristen Vaurio, known for her work on the HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief. The film is slated to premiere in the U.S. and Canada on January 16, with international releases, including the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, on January 17. This announcement follows the world premiere of June at the Doc NYC Festival on November 12. June Carter Cash was, of course, married to Johnny Cash for 35 years until her death in 2003 (Johnny himself died four months later). She was a five-time Grammy Award winner, and her life as a singer, comedian, musician, actor, and author is highlighted in the documentary. The film explores her remarkable career, featuring moments such as when she opened for Elvis Presley, appeared onscreen with Robert Duvall and Jane Seymour,...

Wind gusts quivered the tree limbs, rainfall ricocheted off the roads, and in an instant, power cut off at the old Opera House on Elm Street in Camden, Maine, scuttling screenings there at the Camden International Film Festival.

With that mid-September atmospheric outburst, Hurricane Lee did in the scheduled U.S. premiere of Alex Gibney’s new film In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon. Now, the honor of hosting the American debut goes to the Hamptons International Film Festival this Friday, where the documentary screens as the festival Centerpiece (Simon will appear in person there for a conversation moderated by Rolling Stone’s David Fear). On Sunday, the film plays across the pond at the BFI London Film Festival.

Alex Gibney at the Deadline Portrait Studio at TIFF 2023.

During what was supposed to be Gibney’s Camden premiere, I stopped by the hotel where the filmmaker was staying...

Dumb Money is a sharp and funny film that tells the GameStop short squeeze story, skillfully balancing stock market knowledge and class warfare themes. Composer Will Bates created a unique electronic score for the film using innovative techniques and instrumentation that complemented the director's vision and editing style. Bates discusses his involvement in the project, his approach to the score, and his use of specific thematic elements and equipment, including the Suiko St-10, in creating the music for Dumb Money.

Dumb Money is a sharp and funny telling of the infamous 2021 GameStop short squeeze story. The film does a fantastic job of doling out just enough about the ins and outs of the stock market to be informative, but never loses sight of the class warfare at the heart of its story. The film was directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, and boasts a...

Paul Simon may not yet have come to terms with the hearing loss in his left ear, but he is “beginning to.” The 81-year-old singer-songwriter talked about his ailment and ability to continue performing at a post-screening Q&a for In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.

In the panel discussion alongside documentary director Alex Gibney, Simon told the audience “I haven’t accepted it entirely, but I’m beginning to,” when asked about his hearing loss.

“I play the guitar every day,...

In his latest documentary “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” Alex Gibney explores the singer-songwriter’s six-decade career. The Oscar winning director also captures Simon creating his latest album, “Seven Psalms,” which he made while losing hearing in his left ear. Although Gibney is mostly recognized for his rigorously researched investigative exposes, he is also skilled in creating portraits of cultural icons like Simon. In the 209-minute docu Gibney relies on Simon as well as signifigant figures in his life including wife Edie Brickell, Lorne Michaels and Art Garfunkel, who can be heard via archival footage, to tell his story.

In 2019 Gibney premiered his Mikhail Khodorkovsky documentary “Citizen K” at TIFF. “In Restless Dreams” will debut at TIFF on Sept. 10. Gibney is seeking distribution for the film.

Did you have final cut on this docu?

Yes. That was the arrangement we made going into it. I felt good about that.

While researching for Praise Petey, Anna Drezen and the rest of the writers for the show were able to unpack the cult-like experiences in their own lives.

Animation World Network states that between soapy shows like Hart of Dixie and cult documentaries such as Holy Hell and Wild Wild Country, Drezen and the rest of the writers talked about their own experiences with cult-like behavior in unlikely places like yoga studios, corporate culture, and higher education. Drezen herself stated that "Even a relationship, or a friendship, or a family can be like a cult." She also spoke about how the entertainment industry can feel cult-like at times, such as when you take an acting class and educators use it as a way to get free labor out of students hoping their work will pay off with an acting job.

Related: Scout Comics' Henchgirl Lands Live-Action TV Series at Freeform

Praise...

Following a three year shoot, award-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney has just completed production on In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, the documentary about Paul Simon’s legendary Grammy Award-winning career. The film also follows Simon’s journey creating his new album Seven Psalms, which poses questions about faith and mortality, during the pandemic and while dealing with his hearing loss. The film is expected to be part of the fall film festival circuit.

In the film, Gibney and Simon journey through a dreamlike world of storytelling, an absorbing portrait of an artist, that transcends both time and space moving freely between present and past, showcasing both his music making in the here-and-now and a unique peek into his career, from Tom & Jerry to Simon & Garfunkel to the triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Rarely seen or heard footage of Paul on his own in England...

Altitude, UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent jointly represent global rights.

Alex Gibney has completed the three-year production of In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, a documentary about the career of singer-songwriter Paul Simon for Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media and Anonymous Content.

The film is expected to land a world premiere slot on the fall festival circuit and charts Simon’s career from the days of Simon & Garfunkel to the solo triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm Of The Saints.

It also follows Simon while he recorded his latest album ‘Seven Psalms’, wrestling with issues of faith and mortality...

Painkiller, Netflix’s anticipated and upcoming new limited series about the U.S. opioid crisis, has dropped its first trailer.

The six-episode series releasing Aug. 10 from the EP team of Eric Newman (Narcos, True Story) and director Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights, Spenser Confidential) is inspired by real events amid the country’s opioid crisis and features a cast including Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch (marking a Fnl reunion with Berg), Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny and John Rothman.

Alex Gibney (The Crime of the Century, Going Clear) also executive produces with creators, showrunners and writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).

The trailer introduces Aduba’s character as Edie, the investigator leading the case against Purdue Pharma, with Broderick playing Richard Sackler, a scion of the billionaire family that controls Purdue and a senior executive at the company.

Sackler explains that human behavior is...

Scientology has long been a source of intrigue and controversy in the media.

Though categorised as a cult in Germany, the Church of Scientology is considered a religion by others and has generated headlines about teachings that many deem restrictive.

This, however, hasn’t stopped several Hollywood actors from advocating for the religion.

Recently, Alex Gibney, the filmmaker behind the documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, expressed shock that Tom Cruise, a famed Scientologist, has not been called out for his involvement.

“There hasn’t been any reckoning for him, it surprised me,” Gibney told Rolling Stone.

Whether it’s through Louis Theroux’s exploration into the Church or rumours of John Travolta’s attempted uncoupling from it, Scientology’s position in popular culture cannot be denied.

Here is a rundown of some of the best-known Hollywood stars who have been affiliated with the Church.

Tom Cruise...

The director of the Scientology documentary Going Clear has said he is “surprised” there hasn’t been a “reckoning” for Tom Cruise.

The Top Gun: Maverick star is one of the highest profile members of the Church of Scientology, having joined the controversial religion in the 1980s.

Alex Gibney is a filmmaker known for directing the 2015 film Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

The film, which was vehemently denounced by the Church of Scientology upon its release, made a number of shocking allegations about the organisation, involving claims of abuse inflicted upon members and misconduct among its leadership. Representatives of the church denied the allegations.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in a new interview, Gibney was asked what it was like to see Cruise endure as the “King of Hollywood”.

The interviewer begins by suggesting that Cruise “hasn’t had to answer a single question about [his involvement in Scientology] in the...

Alex Gibney, perhaps the world’s most prolific documentary filmmaker at the moment, has an obsession with power — and hubris. He’s taken on everyone from corrupt corporate execs (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and the Church of Scientology (Going Clear) to Theranos grifter Elizabeth Holmes (The Inventor) and the Trump administration (Totally Under Control).

The 69-year-old Oscar winner’s latest is Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, a two-part docuseries on Apple TV+ that chronicles the rise and fall of German tennis great Boris Becker, who...

Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker,” the new two-part documentary event from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and Oscar-winning producer John Battsek will premiere globally on April 7, 2023. The docuseries explores every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, as well as his high-profile, sometimes tumultuous personal life. The filmmakers had special access to Becker for more than three years, until late April 2022, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker” features a series of personal interviews with Becker, including an exclusive conversation with the champion the week of his sentencing, alongside members of his immediate family and tennis stars,...

Los Angeles, March 7 (Ians) Elon Musk will be the centre of a new documentary from the unflinching Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director of ‘Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief’.

Already months into production, Gibney announced the project saying he was “hugely excited” about tackling Musk on film. It is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter”, reports ‘Variety’.

Tech mogul Musk reached peak saturation in late 2022 when he completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, promising to upend the platform’s user experience as well as restore “balance” to its user body.

Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, which is also financing the project. A distribution partner for the documentary has not yet been named.

As per ‘Variety’, for Jigsaw, Gibney and Jessie Deeter produce and Stacey Offman and Richard Perello will executive produce.

Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, announced on Monday that he has been working on a documentary about Elon Musk, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The project is already months into production, according to the report, and is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”

“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney, per THR. “I am delighted...

Elon Musk will be the center of a new documentary from the unflinching Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.”

Already months into production, Gibney announced the project on Monday saying he was “hugely excited” about tackling Musk on film. It is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”

Tech mogul Musk reached peak saturation in late 2022 when he completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, promising to upend the platform’s user experience as well as restore “balance” to its user body.

Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, which is also financing the project. A distribution partner for the doc has not yet been named.

“Now is the moment for a rigorous portrait of Elon Musk, who is undeniably one of the most influential figures of our time.

Prolific documentarian Alex Gibney hates liars. He hates when companies lie (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room); he hates when religions lie (Going Clear, Mea Maxima Culpa); he hates when authority figures lie (The Inventor, Client 9).

The Rosetta Stone for Gibney’s dogmatic resistance to mendacity is The Armstrong Lie. Gibney’s irritation arises not just from the general lies that Lance Armstrong told the world, but from the lies that Lance Armstrong told him during the making of the movie, yielding a documentary about the nature of deception and self-deception.

Gibney’s new two-part Apple TV+ docuseries Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker is a complementary text to The Armstrong Lie. It’s about a revered sports icon whose falsehoods eventually led to personal disgrace. It’s structured around two extensive interviews conducted at different points in the subject’s prevarication — once in delusion and once when facing a reckoning.

MTV Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to “The Eternal Memory,” Maite Alberdi’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated feature “The Mole Agent.” Sources say that the film sold for nearly 3 million.

The doc premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month as part of the “Panorama” section.

The film was produced by Alberdi, Juan De Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue. It is executive produced by Marcela Santibañez, Daniela Sandoval, Nicholas Hooper, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld.

MTV Documentary Films was set up in 2019 by legendary HBO Documentary Films boss Sheila Nevins, and Paramount Global executives Liza Burnett Fefferman and Nina L. Diaz. Nevins was at HBO for 38 years and won 34 Emmys in that period. Her credits include “Citizenfour,” “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “Paradise Lost.”

In “The Eternal Memory,...

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At first, director Alex Gibney wholeheartedly embraced the influx of energy — and money — the streamers have increasingly pumped into the documentary space over the past decade. Selling to the growing platforms eager to bulk up their content libraries struck the Oscar-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief as a creative windfall — a larger market for the kind of filmmaker-driven films that had previously found some success at the box office and HBO. His company, Jigsaw, could produce unique, entertaining titles in a traditionally underfunded field, told in stylistically distinct ways, and receive “greater monetary reward” to boot.

But then, a red flag: Gibney started to get notes from the streamers “that tried to scientifically rationalize the process,” he says: “‘Our algorithm states that by minute 10 you should do X, Y or Z.'” In the meantime,...