Pakistan documentary ‘Hanging by a Wire’ tops Paramount+ chart in North America

The documentary "Hanging by a Wire" has topped Paramount+'s North American movie chart, marking the first time a Pakistani film has reached No. 1 on the streaming platform in the region.

The documentary “Hanging by a Wire” has topped Paramount+’s North American movie chart, marking the first time a Pakistani film has reached No. 1 on the streaming platform in the region.

The film, which tells the story of the 2023 rescue of eight people trapped in a cable car above a ravine in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reached the top spot on October 28 and 29, according to a statement issued by its filmmakers on Thursday. It has remained in the platform’s North American Top 10 since its release.

During the Halloween weekend, it ranked ahead of commercial titles including “Dracula”, “Scary Movie” and “Rush Hour”, the statement said. The documentary also reached No. 1 on Paramount+ in Italy.

On the Apple TV Store, it climbed to No. 7 on the North American documentary film chart and No. 2 on Australia’s documentary chart.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on October 21, director Mohammed Ali Naqvi said he had wanted the film to appeal to audiences beyond the usual documentary audience.

“I wanted this to be accessible to a much larger swath of the audience,” he said, adding that he hoped to reach viewers in South Asia, the Middle East and diaspora communities, as well as fans of mainstream action and thriller films.

“This is an action and a thriller film. It just happens to have real footage, and it happens to be a documentary,” he said.

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The film is a co-production of EverWonder Studio, Universal Pictures Content Group, Mindhouse Productions and 64th Street Media. Naqvi directed, wrote and produced it, while Bilal Sami co-wrote and produced the documentary.