The Game Changers could be the most viewed documentary of all time, according to its star James Wilks, who wrote and produced the film with Joseph Pace.
The movie, which is available to screen on Netflix and via Chinese platform Youku, quickly became the top-selling documentary of all-time on iTunes within just a week of its launch on the service in late 2019.
And according to Wilks, its success shows no signs of slowing down, as the unconfirmed metrics suggest its viewing figures are record-breaking.
Most viewed
In an interview earlier this year, Wilks revealed that while the team ‘hasn’t got an exact lock on it yet’, the metrics they do have suggest it could be ‘the most viewed documentary of all time’.
He added that the vast majority of feedback he receives from people who approach him is positive, though acknowledged that those who didn’t enjoy the film are less likely to come and speak to him about it, and would rather ‘talk trash’ on the internet.
According to Wilks, pre-lockdown, he would be approached by people daily. Some of the stories included people ditching their type 2 diabetes medication after going plant-based, and entire families giving up animal products.
The Game Changers critics
When it comes to criticisms of the movie, Wilks took them head on, debunking some of the negative claims in an exclusive interview with Plant Based News last year.
Some of the criticisms Wilks tackled included accusations that the film is too ‘agenda-led’ and doesn’t feature ‘proper’ experts, and that some of the athletes in the film didn’t build their muscle on a plant-based diet, but ditching animal products.
On the last point, Wilks said: “All protein originates from plants and animals are just the middle-men, so where did that protein come from originally?…The animals you’re eating, they got their protein from plants, so I really don’t see a good argument for it.”