In an unexpected piece of movie news, the studio behind Beau is Afraid and White Noise has reportedly picked up a biopic about Tesla and X owner Elon Musk. Even more curiously, The Whale helmer Darren Aronofsky is attached to direct the film.
The news comes via Puck, who further states that the film is set to be based on Walter Isaacson’s biography Elon Musk, which became an instant bestseller on its release earlier this year. Isaacson previously wrote Steve Jobs, the biography that was adapted in the 2015 Michael Fassbender-starring film of the same name.
Despite its commercial success, Isaacson’s Elon Musk biography has been fairly widely critiqued for portraying an uncritical version of the controversial billionaire. Having Aronofsky behind the camera could add a whole new dimension to the story, however, as the director is renowned for his unsettling approach, perhaps best exemplified by 2010’s Black Swan and 2000’s Requiem for a Dream.
At the time of writing, A24 has not confirmed its involvement in the project. Similarly, no casting or additional production details have yet been revealed.
In any case, Elon Musk certainly makes for an interesting subject for a biopic. He’s the wealthiest person in the world, with ownership and control over a range of technology companies, though his actions following his acquisition of Twitter in October 2022 (and other erratic behavior) have made him a particularly controversial figure.
