Anticipated 2026 documentaries range from Salman Rushdie to AI and Elon Musk

The Guardian has rounded up ten of the most anticipated documentaries for 2026, spanning subjects from the attempted assassination of Salman Rushdie to artificial intelligence, Elon Musk and high-profile music retrospectives. Alex Gibney’s Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie adapts Rushdie’s memoir and reportedly includes unseen recovery footage filmed by his then-wife Rachel Eliza Griffiths, interviews and excerpts relating to the 1989 fatwa.

Gibney is also directing a film about Elon Musk that promises a “definitive and unvarnished examination” with participation from people formerly in Musk’s orbit but not Musk himself; Bleecker Street acquired US theatrical rights in August 2025 with a release date still unannounced.

Other titles highlighted include John Wilson’s feature debut The History of Concrete, set to premiere at Sundance; Oz, a behind-the-scenes look at the 1939 film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Danny Strong that reportedly used re-enactment filming after a new digitised version screened at the Sphere; and a James Cameron-shot Billie Eilish concert film billed as a 3D theatrical event starting 20 March.

Daniel Roher’s The AI Doc, co-directed by Charlie Tyrell and produced by Daniel Kwan, is said to premiere at Sundance with a theatrical release to follow in March. The list also features a restored William Greaves recording in Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a Billie Jean King retrospective Give Me the Ball!

Key Topics

Culture, Documentary Film, Salman Rushdie, Elon Musk, Alex Gibney, Sundance Film Festival