While the theatrical release of Kanye West‘s documentary “In Whose Name?” has already stirred significant conversation since its September 19, 2025 debut, director Nico Ballesteros now promises that audiences have only glimpsed the surface of the controversial artist’s story.
Only the theatrical tip of the West iceberg, with director Ballesteros promising far deeper revelations to come.
The documentary, which premiered in 1,000 theaters nationwide through partnerships with major cinema chains, deliberately held back its most revealing content according to Ballesteros.
“What you’ve seen is fundamentally our Trojan horse culture play,” he explained in a recent interview, urging viewers to “trust the process” as the extended streaming version approaches.
This expanded cut draws from thousands of hours of footage documenting West’s life from 2018 onward, capturing pivotal moments including his controversial Oval Office meeting with then-President Donald Trump and behind-the-scenes conflicts at Saturday Night Live following West’s pro-Trump speech.
The director confirms the extended version will also explore deeper into West’s 2016 hospitalization after the canceled St. Pablo tour, a turning point in the artist’s public persona.
Despite minimal marketing, the theatrical release generated $776,000 in its opening weekend, exceeding industry expectations. A viral scene showing West’s confrontation with Kris Jenner about his mental health has particularly captivated audiences. Critics have noted the film’s unflinching portrayal of West’s political awakening, mental health struggles, and eventual fallout with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
What distinguishes this documentary from previous celebrity profiles is its deliberately objective approach. Rather than offering commentary or conclusions about West’s controversies, Ballesteros presents raw footage allowing viewers to form their own interpretations.
“We’re not telling you what to think about Kanye,” the director stated, “we’re showing you what happened.”
The forthcoming extended cut promises to reveal significant additional material that Ballesteros claims would have prevented theatrical distribution entirely.
Industry observers anticipate these scenes may provide unprecedented insight into West’s complex relationship with fame, family, and his increasingly isolated position within the entertainment industry following his political statements and controversial outbursts that alienated many former supporters.
The documentary addresses how Kanye’s perception of his business partnerships contributed to his sense of untouchability, even claiming to have made Adidas billions before his anti-Semitic comments resulted in severed ties with major companies.
The film also explores how West attempted to diversify his income through sync licensing deals for his music catalog, a strategy many artists use to generate substantial revenue from film and television placements.
The documentary also examines West’s complicated relationship with music royalties and his public disputes with record labels over ownership of his master recordings.
