A24 Just Greenlit an Elizabeth Holmes Documentary From Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim — Here's Why It's a Big Deal
The Elizabeth Holmes story is getting yet another screen treatment, and this time the pairing behind it is turning heads for a very different reason: A24 has confirmed a new documentary on the disgraced Theranos founder, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
If those names sound like an unusual match for a straightforward true-crime documentary, that's the point. Fielder built his reputation on deeply uncomfortable, meticulously staged docu-comedy through shows like 'Nathan For You' and 'The Rehearsal,' while Oppenheim has carved out a name in eerie, formally inventive nonfiction filmmaking with projects like 'Some Kind of Heaven.' Neither is known for playing it straight, which suggests this won't be another conventional courtroom-to-headlines recap of the Theranos collapse.
Holmes, once hailed as Silicon Valley's youngest self-made female billionaire before Theranos's blood-testing technology was exposed as fraudulent, has already been the subject of a docuseries, a scripted limited series starring Amanda Seyfried, and years of relentless media coverage. That raises an obvious question for A24's new project: what's left to say?
Quick Facts
A24 has greenlit a new Elizabeth Holmes documentary directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
Fielder is known for 'Nathan For You' and 'The Rehearsal'; Oppenheim directed 'Some Kind of Heaven.'
Holmes founded Theranos, which collapsed after its blood-testing technology was exposed as fraudulent.
This is not the first screen treatment of the Holmes story, following an earlier docuseries and a scripted limited series.
No release date has been announced yet.
Early buzz suggests the answer lies in tone rather than facts. Fielder and Oppenheim's collaborations tend to use unconventional structure and a discomforting closeness to their subjects to interrogate ambition, self-delusion and the performance of confidence — themes that map almost too neatly onto the Holmes saga. Expect something less interested in re-litigating the fraud trial and more focused on the psychology of how someone builds, and sustains, a myth.
A24's involvement also signals a certain prestige positioning. The studio has increasingly become a home for auteur-driven nonfiction work, and pairing two of the format's most distinctive voices on a subject this culturally saturated is a bet that fresh perspective can still cut through fatigue.
No release date has been set yet, and further details on scope, access and interview subjects are expected as production moves forward.
FAQs
Who is directing the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary?
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim are directing the project for A24.
Has Elizabeth Holmes's story been told on screen before?
Yes — it has previously been covered in a docuseries and dramatized in a scripted limited series starring Amanda Seyfried.
When will the new documentary be released?
A24 has not announced a release date yet; more details are expected as production continues.
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