Secret Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Takes $19.5 Million in Second Weekend
A nearly three-hour documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed blood-testing company Theranos, has taken $19.5 million at the North American box office in its second weekend. Variety reported the figure for "You Can See Everything," distributed by A24, from 2,655 theatres.
The film opened on 855 screens with $15.6 million and more than 2,000 sold-out showings. Its ticket sales rose 28% as it expanded in its second weekend. Its domestic total, meaning the United States and Canada, now stands at $45.1 million.
Few people knew it was coming. The film was made in secret over three years, and it was not publicised until about a month before its theatrical debut. It premiered as a surprise at the Telluride Film Festival in early September.
The film was co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. According to A24's official synopsis, it documents Holmes in the 34 days before she is sent to prison. Holmes invites a film crew to follow her every move, and the film catches her just before she begins an 11-year sentence for defrauding investors.
Its production budget was $7 million, the cost of making the film before marketing. Domestic ticket sales have already passed six times that figure, according to the Variety numbers.
On Friday of the second weekend, the film earned $6.14 million from 2,655 theatres and placed second behind the superhero title "Clayface," Variety reported.
The film's rise is a reminder that a documentary can open wide without a long lead-up. A24 has not announced how far the run will extend beyond its current screens, so the next few weekends will show how far the audience goes.
