In Whose Name?

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In Whose Name?
In Whose Name%3F.webp
Directed byNico Ballesteros
Produced by
  • Nico Ballesteros
  • Simran A. Singh
  • Shy Ranje (co-producer)
  • Jack M. Russell (co-producer)
Starring Kanye West
CinematographyNico Ballesteros
Edited by
  • Nico Ballesteros
  • Jack M. Russell
  • Justin Staple
Music byLeon Lacey
Distributed byAMSI Entertainment
Release date
  • September 19, 2025 (2025-09-19)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1 million [1] [2]

In Whose Name? is a 2025 American documentary film directed by Nico Ballesteros about the life of the American rapper Kanye West. It was released in theaters on September 19, 2025, through AMSI Entertainment.

Contents

Synopsis

In Whose Name? covers six years of the American rapper Kanye West's life, including his struggles with bipolar disorder, performances with the Sunday Service Choir, unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, the collapse of his marriage with Kim Kardashian, and his hateful and antisemitic public outbursts. [3] [4] Drake, Elon Musk, Marilyn Manson, Pharrell Williams, Lil Dicky, Playboi Carti, Swizz Beatz, and Charlie Kirk make appearances, [4] [5] as do Chris Rock, [6] Consequence, Michael Che, [6] Steve Higgins, David Letterman, Rihanna, Amber Rose, Kris Jenner, DMX, Lady Gaga, LeBron James, Sean Combs, Anna Wintour, Joel Osteen, [7] James Turrell, Kenny G, Candace Owens, and Donald Trump.

Production

Nico Ballesteros began recording In Whose Name? in 2019, when he was eighteen years old. According to the synopsis, he shot the film in 15-hour shoot days. [8] Ballesteros recorded over 3,000 hours of footage, which was cut down to an hour and 46 minutes for the final film. [9]

During the editing phase of post-production, the team consisting of Ballesteros, Jack Mason Russell, and Shy Ranje—who contributed as a story editor—relocated to Costa Rica to continue work on the film. They brought the project’s hard drives, servers, and monitors and spent a year editing in a remote jungle house. This move was partly for security, as the footage consisted of roughly 3,000 hours of unedited material that could have been of interest to media outlets. [10]

The film is produced by Ballesteros and Simran A. Singh, with Shy Ranje and Jack Mason Russell serving as co-producers, Justin Staple as executive producer, and David Bullock serving as associate producer. [11] [12]

Ballesteros began filming his own life when he was eight years old, saying in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that "[f]or a shy kid, the camera became both a shield and a window, a way to channel my introspection while still engaging with the world." [3] He theorized that this might be the reason why he and West "understood each other without saying much. I was able to fade into the background, stay present, the camera always rolling, catching moments outside the public performance." [3]

Marketing

The documentary was publicly revealed on November 1, 2024, through an exclusive story with Variety . The article revealed the film's synopsis and producers, as well as claiming it was currently in post-production. The film was set to be released to the American Film Market through Goodfellas and Utopia, with a promo reel being shown on November 7. [12] During that time, Ballesteros posted a text exchange he had with West, who called the documentary "very deep. It was like being dead and looking back on my life." [13]

On August 13, 2025, a trailer was released for In Whose Name?, featuring a clip of West and Kardashian. [11] Following the trailer, producer Simran A. Singh stated the film will not include any "commentary or conclusion" on West, wanting the audience to come to their own conclusions. [8] A second trailer was released on August 27. [4]

Release

In Whose Name? was released to theaters on September 19, 2025, through AMSI Entertainment. It was distributed to 1,000 theaters in the United States in partnership with AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark Theatres. [11] After its opening weekend, the film's producers planned to extend its theatrical run and eventually add it to streaming services. [14] Ballesteros has stated the streaming version of In Whose Name? will be a director's cut, claiming he had to "Trojan Horse culture" for its theatrical release. [15]

Box office

In Whose Name? grossed $776,000 in its opening weekend. [16] Publications generally found its box office performance to be surprising, as the film did not receive heavy promotion in the lead up to its release; [16] [17] Rolling Stone projected that it would go on to outperform several other documentaries released earlier in the year by comparing their opening numbers. [16]

References

  1. ↑ "In Whose Name?". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ "In Whose Name". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Gardner, Chris (August 13, 2025). "Kanye "Ye" West Declares "I'm Off My Meds" in Teaser From Unfiltered Documentary 'In Whose Name?'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 13, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Saponara, Michael (August 27, 2025). "Ye Documentary 'In Whose Name?' Drops Explosive Trailer Featuring Kim Kardashian, Drake & Elon Musk". Billboard . Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ Blake, Cole (September 18, 2025). "Charlie Kirk Will Appear In Kanye West's New Documentary". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Lawrence, Andrew (September 18, 2025). "In Whose Name? review – Kanye's descent makes for grimly compelling watch". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ Brockington, Ariana (September 23, 2025). "Where to Watch 'In Whose Name,' the Controversial New Kanye West Doc". Today. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Kreps, Daniel (August 13, 2025). "Kanye West Documentary 'In Whose Name?' Gives Private Look at His Public Meltdown". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 13, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  9. ↑ Blake, Cole (March 30, 2023). "Kanye West's Tumultuous Recent Years Detailed In Trailer For New Documentary "In Whose Name?"". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  10. ↑ Alex Pappademas (September 29, 2025). "One Last Look at the Old Kanye West". GQ.
  11. 1 2 3 Carey, Matthew (August 13, 2025). "Kanye West Melts Down As Distressed Kim Kardashian Looks On In Teaser For Explosive Doc 'In Whose Name?'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Ritman, Alex (November 1, 2024). "Mysterious Kanye West Doc 'In Whose Name?' Heads to AFM With Goodfellas and Utopia, First Image Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  13. ↑ Diaz, Angel (November 4, 2024). "Kanye West on Upcoming Doc 'In Whose Name?': 'It Was Like Being Dead & Looking Back on My Life'". Billboard . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ Winslow, Mike (September 25, 2025). "Kanye West Documentary Rakes In Big Bucks Without Traditional Marketing". AllHipHop. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  15. ↑ Alston, Trey (September 28, 2025). "Director's Cut of Kanye West Documentary Will 'Change Everything,' Director Says". Complex . Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 Ihaza, Jeff (September 23, 2025). "Kanye West Doc 'In Whose Name?' Pulls in Solid Box Office Numbers on Opening Weekend". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  17. ↑ Sadler, Armon (September 25, 2025). "Ye Documentary 'In Whose Name?' Brings In Big Revenue Despite Non-Traditional Marketing". Vibe . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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