Elizabeth Holmes documentary earns $15 million in opening weekend at the box office
The documentary "You Can See Everything," about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, took in $15 million over its opening weekend in cinemas. That is the second-biggest opening weekend ever for a documentary.
"You Can See Everything," a documentary about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood-testing startup Theranos, earned $15 million in its opening weekend in cinemas, according to Sunday estimates. That is the second-biggest opening weekend ever for a documentary, TechCrunch reports.
The numbers
The nearly three-hour film is showing in 855 theaters this weekend. By comparison, the weekend's top film, "Street Fighter," is playing in 3,575. "You Can See Everything" reportedly had about 2,000 sold-out screenings. It was first shown last month at a secretive screening at the Telluride Film Festival.
Reviews are overwhelmingly positive: the film currently holds a 99% score on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
Why it stands out
Holmes's story has already been covered in books, podcasts, a scripted miniseries and other documentaries. She founded Theranos, won backing from many prominent figures in Silicon Valley, and was ultimately sentenced to 11 years in prison for defrauding investors. The new film's makers were given extensive access to Holmes and her family in the month before she went to jail. It was co-directed by Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder, creator of "The Rehearsal."
Other tech-themed films
TechCrunch suggests the buzz around the film may be making it harder for other tech-focused movies to break through. Aaron Sorkin's "The Social Reckoning," a follow-up to "The Social Network," opened to $5.5 million last weekend and has already dropped out of the top 10. Alex Gibney's four-hour documentary "Musk" made just $306,702 this weekend.
