Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (2026)

Director Alex Gibney, renowned for his incisive documentaries such as "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," returns with a compelling new work based on Salman Rushdie's 2024 memoir. The film chronicles the harrowing events of August 12, 2022, when the celebrated author was ambushed and stabbed fourteen times on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. This attack occurred after more than three decades since the infamous fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini following the publication of "The Satanic Verses" in 1988, marking a tragic resurgence of violence against one of literature's most prominent voices.

The documentary structure intertwines multiple narratives, offering viewers a comprehensive look at the incident while providing intimate access to Rushdie's recovery journey. A significant portion of the film features exclusive new footage recorded by Rushdie's wife, which captures both his physical healing process and his renewed sense of hope. By combining these personal recordings with Rushdie's own eloquent narration, the film explores his background as a writer, his hospitalization, and his eventual return to writing, presenting a meditation on resilience and the power of the written word in the face of extremism.

Starring himself and featuring narration by Rachel Eliza Griffiths, the project has garnered attention for its sensitive handling of trauma and triumph. With an IMDb rating of 7.1 out of 10 from user reviews, the film is praised for Gibney's masterful storytelling and Rushdie's poignant reflection on his survival. The documentary not only serves as a record of a violent crime but also as a testament to the enduring spirit of free speech and artistic expression, having won one award total since its release.

• The film is directly adapted from Salman Rushdie's 2024 memoir titled "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder."
• Alex Gibney previously won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for "Taxi to the Dark Side" in 2007.
• Rushdie had lived under the shadow of a death threat for over thirty years prior to this 2022 attack.
• The movie includes rare, intimate home-video style footage captured by Rushdie's wife during his rehabilitation.