Bleecker Street CEO on Why the Social Media Suppression of ‘Musk’ Is About Much More Than Film — SkimNews
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- TikTok “permanently” suspended the “Musk” account when the film expanded to 500 theaters, citing repeated violations of its rule against paying to boost political content, then reinstated it after two days.
- Meta and YouTube each pulled Bleecker Street’s paid trailer for “Musk” before restoring it, saying the removal was an error.
- Bleecker Street moved “Musk”’s $20 PVOD release to November 6 from late November after the film grossed just $672,000 in three weeks.
- Apple pre-orders for the $20 “Musk” outpaced “The Odyssey” and ranked among Apple’s top purchased titles a week before release; Sanderson said it may become the most pre-ordered movie of his career.
- Bleecker Street edited out rally footage from the “Musk” trailer, yet the revised video was still flagged; videos repeatedly disappeared while still images and posters fared better, and Sanderson called the platform review process opaque.
- “Musk” opened against “Clayface,” “Wicker,” and “You Can See Everything,” which tripled its screen count, while Bleecker Street said exhibitors showed no political hesitation about booking the nearly four-hour film.
- No Kings Rally had its Instagram account suspended for similar political reasons the same weekend, and Bleecker Street said it was consulting the group on how to navigate the same experience.
Why it matters: For Bleecker Street, TikTok’s two-day suspension during the 500-theater opening compounded repeated Meta and YouTube trailer removals on a run that grossed only $672,000 in three weeks. Accelerating the $20 PVOD release to November 6 puts greater weight on Apple pre-orders for “Musk,” already outpacing “The Odyssey,” as the distributor seeks audience demand beyond theaters.
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