Free Solo, the immersive documentary about one brave man’s quest to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan mountain without a rope, is a huge commercial hit.
National Geographic’s thrilling film has now surpassed “RBG,” Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media’s feature of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as the second-highest grossing documentary of 2018.
Free Solo added another $1.38 million in its 19th weekend of release, bringing its total bounty to $14.98 million.
It played at 483 venues this weekend, with over 350 Imax screens, marking its widest point of release to date.
“Free Solo” has also generated an impressive $1.6 million in the U.K., where it is now the biggest doc of last year.
“I love that the golden age of documentaries is not just relegated to the small screen. If there were ever a film to be seen on the big screen, it’s ‘Free Solo,’” said Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic Global Networks. “It’s such an immersive and visceral experience that it almost gives you vertigo. You feel like you’re right there with Alex.”
The acclaimed non-fiction film, directed by filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and photographer Jimmy Chin, is an Oscar frontrunner.
The exhilarating doc follows free soloist climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to scale the 3,000 foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without using harnesses or other gear.
said. “In Alex’s case, he is the embodiment of demonstrating that the impossible is possible. What a great inspirational message.”
