Musk Promoted Hammer’s Film on X

• Worldwide screening rights were acquired by Quiver Distribution, but the deal does not cover several markets, including the United Kingdom and German-speaking territories.
• The film was made available for free on X for four days, after which its views and commercial attention increased.
• Director Uwe Boll links the controversy around the project to the German FSK’s refusal to issue a certificate and suggests a sequel may be in the works.

The film Citizen Vigilante starring Armie Hammer received worldwide screening rights after Elon Musk got involved. The film was also made available for free on X from Thursday through Sunday, which sharply increased its views and attention to the project.

According to Variety, the deal does not extend to the United Kingdom, German-speaking territories, South Korea, and Taiwan. In North America, Quiver Distribution already holds the release rights, and in the United States and Canada the film opened in limited release on June 19.

Director Uwe Boll said that Germany’s FSK ratings board refused to certify the film because of what it claimed was incitement to violence against migrants. He also said that Musk reached out to his team with a request to make the film available for free, and later wrote that a possible sequel could appear later.

In the film, Hammer plays an American businessman who takes justice into his own hands after crimes committed by migrants in an unnamed European country. The project has already been criticized for its violence and anti-immigrant themes, and it has been banned in Germany.

For Hammer, this is his first major role after a five-year break. The actor had previously denied all allegations made against him in 2021.

Tags: Technology/Culture/Europe