Pakistan's Oscar entry 'Hanging by a Wire' tops Paramount+ chart
Pakistan's Oscar submission, "Hanging by a Wire," made history by topping Paramount+'s North American movie chart, showcasing its global appeal and critical success.
- "Hanging by a Wire" topping Paramount+ charts in North America and Italy.
- The film's success against major Hollywood commercial titles.
- The real-life 2023 cable car rescue that inspired the documentary.
- Director Mohammed Ali Naqvi's vision for the film's international reach.
Hanging by a Wire, Pakistan’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards, has debuted at No. 1 on Paramount+‘s North American movie chart. It is the first Pakistani film to top the streaming platform’s chart in the region.
The Urdu- and Pashto-language documentary reached the top spot on October 28 and 29. According to a statement issued by the filmmakers on Thursday, it has stayed in the platform’s North American Top 10 most-watched movies since its release.
During its Halloween-weekend run, the film ranked ahead of commercial titles including Dracula, Scary Movie and Rush Hour. It also reached No. 1 on Paramount+ in Italy.
On Apple TV Store, the documentary climbed to No. 7 on the North American Top Chart: Documentary Movies. It reached No. 2 on Australia’s documentary chart.
Mohammed Ali Naqvi wrote, directed and produced the film, and Bilal Sami co-wrote and produced it. The film tells the story of the dramatic 2023 rescue of eight passengers trapped in a cable car above a ravine in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It is also the first documentary Pakistan has chosen as its entry in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.
“When I set out to make Hanging by a Wire, I wanted it to reach well beyond documentary audiences,” Naqvi said.
“Seeing it chart alongside Hollywood titles is a milestone for the film. That a Pakistani story, told in Urdu and Pashto, has travelled this far and found audiences around the world means a great deal to me.”
The film is a co-production of EverWonder Studio, Universal Pictures Content Group, Mindhouse Productions and 64th Street Media.
It premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
It has since won the Sabeen Mahmud Award for Courage in Cinema at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival. It also won the David Ponce Best of the Fest Award at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.
Naqvi is an award-winning director, producer and writer. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
The film is set for release in Pakistan in early 2027, with dates yet to be announced.