A long-anticipated HBO TV show about Elon Musk’s SpaceX has hit a dead end, according to author Ashlee Vance. The project, based on his bestselling 2017 biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, is no longer moving forward at the network. Vance revealed the update on X, where he also expressed hope that the series may find life elsewhere.
Ashlee Vance claims limited series based on Elon Musk’s SpaceX ‘has died’
The SpaceX-inspired TV show has been quietly shelved, delivering what many would consider the worst possible update for fans awaiting a dramatized retelling of the company’s origins. On December 3, Ashlee Vance confirmed the news, writing on X, “Well, it’s super sad, but this long-running project with HBO has died. We were going to make a dramatized series about the early days of @elonmusk and @SpaceX. Had some wonderful scripts. They were smart and funny and true to life. I imagine it would have been a massive hit.”
Vance added that despite strong material, the project struggled to maintain momentum amid HBO’s internal changes. “Hollywood is hard. And HBO went through too many gyrations for this one to keep the requisite energy. People also seem afraid to make something about Elon. As a result, the IP rights on my biography have reverted to me. If there are serious offers out there to make something amazing, my mind and inbox are open.”
Originally announced in October 2020, the limited series was set to be produced by Channing Tatum’s Free Association. Doug Jung wrote the scripts, which would have followed Musk as he assembled a team of engineers on a remote Pacific island to build and launch what would become SpaceX’s first crewed rocket into orbit, the Falcon 9 mission, on May 30, 2020.
While Vance’s announcement came this week, Deadline reports that HBO had already passed on the project years earlier. The timing of his post remains unclear, but his message suggests renewed interest in finding a new home for the adaptation.
For now, the project’s future remains uncertain. With the rights back in Vance’s hands, the author appears ready to revive the series if a “serious offer” comes along.
