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A documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has taken an estimated $15 million in its opening weekend in North America, the biggest debut for a non-music documentary in more than two decades, distributor A24 said.
"You Can See Everything" was made by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. At nearly three hours long, it opened in only 855 cinemas across the U.S. and Canada, and more than 2,000 screenings sold out over the weekend.
The result is the best for a non-music documentary since Michael Moore’s "Fahrenheit 9/11" took almost $24 million from 868 cinemas in 2004.
It is also the strongest opening for a film shown in fewer than 1,000 cinemas since "Borat" took $26.5 million in 2006.
The documentary finished second at the weekend box office. "Street Fighter" topped the chart with $31 million from 3,575 locations, but "You Can See Everything" averaged about $17,544 per cinema, more than double the video game adaptation’s takings.
The film was made largely in secret over three years. It follows Holmes in the weeks before she entered federal prison in 2023. It begins when she invited a sceptical film crew to record her final 34 days before reporting to prison.
It also features her partner, Billy Evans, and their two children, and examines how the former Silicon Valley executive tried to present herself after Theranos collapsed.
Holmes was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors in the blood-testing start-up, which claimed it could run a wide range of medical tests using only tiny amounts of blood.
The strong opening followed widespread critical attention and positive audience reactions. More than 70% of the opening-weekend audience was reportedly under 35, suggesting younger cinemagoers helped drive demand for such a long documentary.
The film has yet to begin its wider international rollout. It opens in Australia on Nov. 12 and in Britain on Nov. 20.
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