A documentary that behaves like a blockbuster
A24's You Can See Everything, a three-hour documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, collected $19.5 million in its second weekend of release. That figure came as the film widened from 855 theaters to 2,655, and it represents a gain over the $15.6 million the movie took in its opening frame. According to Variety, the second-weekend total ran 28 percent above the launch, while IndieWire put the improvement at 25 percent.[S1][S2]
The film was made for $7 million and has now earned $45.1 million in North America. Variety reported that its opening from 855 theaters was the strongest debut for a nonmusical documentary in two decades. IndieWire noted that A24 kept the project under wraps, encouraging viewers to buy tickets so they would not encounter spoilers.[S1][S2]
The documentary has already passed Melania, which had been the year's top-grossing nonfiction title with $16.3 million. IndieWire reported that Amazon MGM Studios and Jeff Bezos paid $40 million for the rights to that film about the First Lady. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, released during the 2004 presidential campaign, remains the highest-grossing documentary with slightly more than $222 million.[S1]
Clayface opens below studio projections
Warner Bros. and DC's R-rated Clayface topped the domestic chart with $24 million from 3,458 North American theaters. Variety reported that the debut landed at the low end of the studio's $25 million to $35 million expectations. The film added $19 million from 76 overseas markets for a global total of $43 million, and it received an A- grade in CinemaScore exit polling.[S2]
Clayface cost $44 million to produce, far less than other recent DC releases. Variety reported that Superman, released in 2025, earned $618 million against a $225 million budget, while Supergirl, released this July, brought in $126 million on a $170 million budget. DC has also found audiences on HBO Max with the series Peacemaker and Lanterns.[S2]
Directed by James Watkins, Clayface centers on the Batman villain, a rising movie star who undergoes an experimental medical procedure after his face is badly disfigured. Variety described the film as a darker body-horror thriller than DC's family-oriented adventures, and reported that the studio deliberately kept its costs down.[S2]
Awards questions and a strong year for A24
Whether the box office performance will carry You Can See Everything and its directors, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, into the Oscar race remains unsettled. IndieWire reported that awards forecasters have devoted considerable attention to the question. Variety noted that some are predicting the film could become the first documentary ever nominated for best picture.[S1][S2]
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, said the decision to open the film in 855 theaters was a smart move that let it establish itself and build momentum before expanding much wider. He also described a documentary posting such a large second-weekend increase as remarkable.[S2]
David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, said many spinoffs of superhero villains and antiheroes have been made, citing Joker, Venom and Kraven the Hunter. He said Clayface was wisely conceived as something different, costing a fraction of those films, and should be profitable.[S2]
For A24, the documentary extends a strong run. IndieWire reported that the studio released Backrooms, its biggest hit with $400 million worldwide, along with Primetime and The Drama. The outlet argued that the studio has shown audiences will come to theaters for more than superhero films and sequels.[S1]
