Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Surges to $15M Debut, Outperforming Major Releases
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's film about the Theranos founder achieves the highest documentary opening in over two decades.
The documentary "You Can See Everything," directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, has made a remarkable debut at the box office, earning $15 million from just 855 screens over its opening weekend. This performance marks the biggest opening for a documentary in more than 20 years, surpassing Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" in 2004.
The film, which explores the life of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, also achieved the distinction of being the largest limited release, defined as fewer than 1,000 screens, of any genre since "Borat" in 2006. A studio source reported that "You Can See Everything" experienced 2,000 sold-out showings and maintained an overall occupancy rate of 50% nationwide, significantly higher than other limited releases like "The Odyssey" and "Backrooms," which saw around 30% occupancy across more screens.
Notably, the audience for the documentary skewed young, with 70% of viewers under the age of 35. This demographic appeal, combined with its critical acclaim, positions the film as a potential contender for major awards.
A24, the distributor, which has already seen success with films such as "Backrooms," "The Invite," "The Drama," and "Primetime" this year, is now looking at a potential Oscar contender in "You Can See Everything." The film has garnered exceptional reviews, holding a 4.8 rating on Letterboxd, the highest ever for the platform, and receiving a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 98 on Metacritic.
In contrast, Alex Gibney's four-hour documentary on Elon Musk, distributed by Bleeker Street, has had a more limited release and a less impressive financial start. It expanded to 472 screens this weekend, earning $290,000 for a cumulative total of $394,912.
With plans for a national rollout and positive word-of-mouth, as indicated by 90% of early audiences recommending the film, "You Can See Everything" could potentially challenge "Fahrenheit 9/11" for the title of the highest-grossing documentary of all time. "You Can See Everything"