A new documentary chronicling the final weeks before Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered federal prison is poised to set box office records in its nationwide theatrical debut this weekend.
Co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the film “You Can See Everything” is projected to bring in between $12 million and $14 million across domestic theaters over its three-day opening frame, Screen Rant reported, citing tracking data from Deadline. That haul would mark the biggest domestic launch for a non-concert documentary since Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” earned $23.9 million in 2004, surpassing the $10.7 million benchmark established by the 2012 nature film “Chimpanzee.”
A Lucrative Run and High Marks
Produced by A24, To Be Formed and Blow Out Productions, “You Can See Everything” carries a modest production budget of roughly $7 million, according to Screen Rant. The film first debuted during an unannounced screening at the Telluride Film Festival in September before opening broadly to overwhelming critical praise, earning a 99 percent approval score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and verified audience members.
If current box office estimates hold, the documentary will also eclipse the $7.2 million debut posted earlier this year by “Melania,” a documentary centered on former first lady Melania Trump. It stands to rank among the top 10 domestic documentary openings ever, a list otherwise dominated by concert features from pop icons including Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.
Behind the Scenes and Meta Reenactments
The film captures the 34 days leading up to Holmes’ surrender to begin an 11-year federal sentence in May 2023 for defrauding Theranos investors, Variety reported. Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, allowed Fielder into their home, where the filmmaker confronted the disgraced entrepreneur about her past while attempting to navigate the couple’s shifting narrative.
The documentary also incorporates unexpected narrative twists. Variety reported that midway through the project, Fielder enlists actor Amanda Seyfried, who won an Emmy Award portraying Holmes in the 2022 Hulu miniseries “The Dropout.” Seyfried appears as herself and also reenacts off-camera episodes between Holmes and Fielder, alongside actor Christopher Abbott, who portrays Evans.
Among the reenacted moments is an off-camera debate where Evans requested compensation from A24 to take part in the documentary, Variety noted. While the distributor agreed to pay despite pushback from the filmmakers over journalistic integrity, Evans later dropped the financial request. Fielder also shows Holmes episodes of “The Dropout” during filming, which prompts an emotional reaction from Holmes, who criticizes the dramatization during a subsequent prison interview reenacted by Seyfried.
Fallout for Holmes and Evans
The project shines an unsparing light on Evans, who met Holmes in 2017. Gizmodo reported that Evans took over Holmes’ public X profile following her incarceration. The account raised eyebrows over the past year by posting aggressive replies and sharing conservative political content, including endorsements of Donald Trump and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, alongside criticisms of Democratic lawmakers.
Evans confirmed on the “All-In” podcast on Thursday that he had not watched the final film prior to release, acknowledging to the hosts that taking part in the documentary might prove to be “the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”
While theatrical analysts estimate that strong word-of-mouth could push the movie toward $36 million domestically before its run concludes, it remains to be seen whether the revelations will affect Holmes’ standing or legal appeals as she continues to serve her sentence.
