UK cinemas have been “blown away” by strong pre-sales for Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything in the weeks ahead of its release, with younger audiences leading the charge.
A24 is distributing the film about convicted US fraudster Holmes at over 300 sites (as per the Film Distributors’ Association) on its November 20 opening weekend, a month after the film was released in the US.
Screenings were already selling out a month ahead of its release in the territory, with cinemas adding extra showings, and early demand among Gen Z and young millennial audiences particularly healthy – unusual for documentaries in recent years, outside of concert films.
Cineworld, which has 87 sites across the UK, said around a third of advance bookings are coming from 18–24-year-olds, with about two thirds from under-35s.
“Gen Z is absolutely buzzing for You Can See Everything,” said Stuart Crane, international vice president of content for Cineworld. “It’s become one of those films that seems to be everywhere before it’s even arrived, with online obsession fuelled by endless memes, wild fan theories and Theranos lore. Nobody wants to be the last person to see what everyone is talking about.”
Arthouse chain Picturehouse, which has 25 cinemas across the UK, told Screen that over 40% of its pre-sales thus far have been from 18-29-year-olds.
“We’re blown away,” said Carol McKay, director of programming, Picturehouse Cinemas. ”The pre-sales for You Can See Everything are ahead of No Time To Die at this point before release. It shows that cinema audiences want something different and there’s nothing quite like this film.”
Curzon, which has 16 sites in the UK, Susie Bould, senior director of marketing and strategy, noted: “It is very exciting seeing how incredibly well You Can See Everything is pre-selling, and audience insights indicate the film is strongly resonating with the older Gen Z/younger millennial generation of film lovers – 25-34s make up 44% of the audience so far.”
Younger audiences have come out in the droves in the US to see the film, with 70% of the audience at its October 16 opening weekend aged under 35. The film’s worldwide gross stands at $80m as of November 9.
