Oscar-Winning Documentary ‘Free Solo’ Now Available for Streaming on Hulu

Film follows Alex Honnold as he attempts the first ever free solo climb of El Capitan

Free Solo
"Free Solo" / National Geographic Documentary Films

Hulu has acquired the streaming rights to “Free Solo,” this year’s Oscar-winning documentary about rock climber Alex Honnold. The film will stream on Hulu beginning Wednesday.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and photographer/mountaineer Jimmy Chin directed the Nat Geo documentary about Honnold, a free solo rock climber who dreams of climbing El Capitan, the 3,200-foot peak in Yosemite National Park, without a rope.

The film also follows Honnold in his personal life trying to maintain a healthy relationship while pursuing an inherently dangerous lifestyle, as well as the cameramen tasked with trying to film what could potentially be a life-threatening endeavor every time Honnold goes out for a climb.

“‘Free Solo’ is a true masterpiece that combines awe-inspiring camerawork with the kind of authentic storytelling that Hulu viewers love,” Lisa Holme, VP of content acquisition at Hulu said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with our friends at National Geographic Documentary Films to add this extraordinary film to the growing slate of award-winning documentaries available on Hulu.”

The film set a box office record by breaking the best per screen average for a documentary, which was previously held by “An Inconvenient Truth.” It also was among the best per screen average movies at the box office in 2018.

Nat Geo has geared up with several other documentaries since the acclaimed success of “Free Solo,” including a documentary on the Paradise wildfires from Ron Howard, an environmental documentary produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and a documentary on the Thai Cave Rescue.

Upcoming Hulu originals include “Catch-22” from George Clooney; “Four Weddings and a Funeral” from Mindy Kaling; “Shrill” from Aidy Bryant, Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks; “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” from Brian Grazer and The RZA; “Ramy” from Jerrod Carmichael and Ramy Youssef and “Little Fires Everywhere” from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

Comments