Child trafficking drama “Sound of Freedom” emerged as a surprise independent-caliber blockbuster, and is unwittingly a lightning rod for culture wars/political buzz.
The $15 million production has grossed $66 In domestic boxoffice as of July 14 (10 days in release) and is rated PG-13. Most indie films would be happy with half that for final U.S./Canada boxoffice, and “Sound of Freedom” is still going strong ranking No. 2 of all theatricals domestically.
Its distributor, Utah-based Angel Studios, marketed heavily to faith-based audiences, which electrified ticket sales. The film drew praise from conservatives but also got zapped by left-leaning pundits.
Critics apparently saw a political subtext critical in the film’s based-on-a-true story human trafficking plot. In the movie (and real life), a disillusioned Homeland Security agent goes independent to rescue trafficked children in third-world countries after being frustrated by U.S. government efforts.
The robust boxoffice is a great signal for cinema general, because it indicates a return post-pandemic of the faith demographic — people strongly influenced by traditional religion. The faith demo is clearly back to cinema with “Sound of Freedom” and low-budget drama “Jesus Revolution” starring Kelsey Grammar, which grossed a decent $53 million worldwide recently for Lionsgate.
Cinema skeptics had said that only the youth demo embracing glossy extravaganzas was returning to cinema in the aftermath of the Covid-19 calamity. But the list of demo revivals keeps growing. Other recent cinema hits powered by other demographics include Walt Disney Studios’ “The Little Mermaid” (females), “Where the Crawdads Sing” (older females), “Elvis” (a broad audience), and “Cocaine Bear” (adults), with a list that keeps growing.
Courting the faith audience is less expensive than normal marketing, which requires expensive TV commercials aiming for broad reach. “An appeal to film marketers is that churches and Christian groups are easy to identify for targeted marketing, and religious leaders are looking for popular culture to recommend to their congregations,” says the third edition of book “Marketing to Moviegoers.” It’s an audience easy to reach via religious groups, specialty media and faith-oriented content in general media.
Also, approximately $5 million was raised with crowdfunding by “Sound of Freedom” producers for theatrical marketing costs and that initiative lined up 100,000 moviegoers set to personally buy cinema tickets.
“Sound of Freedom” generated controversy when detractors claimed that the film has sinister right-wing associations.
Rolling Stone magazine asserts the film is “QAnon-tinged thriller” — a reference to right-wing conspiracy theory purveyor. The film’s star Jim Caviezel is active in conservative circles, which is cited as proof by critics who apparently want to “cancel” the actor as a result. The cast also includes Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino. Caviezel portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 indie blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ.”
AMC Theatres, the largest U.S. circuit, and the “Sound of Freedom” distributor Angel Studios joined forces to push back on social media buzz claiming AMC is cutting playdates, which is hotly denied. The theater chain was accused of sabotaging screenings by cutting off air conditioning and creating projection problems. The social media buzz is dressed up as coming from supporters of the film, when apparently it is disinformation from detractors.
“So, much garbage information is spread,” AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron wrote on Twitter. “More than ONE MILLION people have watched ‘Sound of Freedom’ at AMC Theatres. More than at any other theatre chain on the planet. Yet people falsely claim otherwise. It is so bizarre.”
Perhaps an indicator of a cultural divide, “Sound of Freedom” nabbed a coveted A+ rating in Cinemascore polls of moviegoers exiting theaters but a mediocre 77% aggregate rating from movie critics, a barometer of the cultural elite, at the Rotten Tomatoes website.
The faith audience is a middle America crowd, so “Sound of Freedom” boxoffice tilted to middle of the country, the South and suburban areas. Big-city theaters that normally lead boxoffice took a back seat.
“’Sound of Freedom’ had a long and somewhat tortured path to U.S. movie theaters,” says a BBC news story. “Shot in 2018, it was bought by 21st Century Fox but shelved when that studio was bought by Disney, before being acquired by Angel — which is based not in Hollywood but Utah.”
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FAQs
One of the primary points of contention revolves around the film's portrayal of child trafficking. Experts, including Erin Albright, a former fellow for the Department of Justice's anti-trafficking task force, argue that the depiction is inaccurate and sensationalized.
How well did Sound of Freedom do at the box office? ›
The pay-it-forward tickets account for nearly 9% of the film's box office performance: “Sound of Freedom” grossed $250.6 million at the worldwide box office, much of which came from domestic theaters, according to Box Office Mojo.
Was The Sound of Freedom a success? ›
Distributed by Angel Studios, Sound of Freedom is the first post-pandemic independent movie to pass the $100 million milestone domestically. It has achieved this against a relatively modest budget of $14.5 million. David A.
Is the Sound of Freedom religious? ›
Sound of Freedom is a 2023 American Christian thriller film directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, and starring Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp. Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, a former U.S. government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia.
Why did Disney block Sound of Freedom? ›
Putting to bed any ideas some may have that the studio buried Sound of Freedom intentionally, Monteverde explains that it was merely a victim of circ*mstance following the major deal between Fox and the Walt Disney Company.
What is the lawsuit against the Sound of Freedom? ›
The most recent lawsuit against Tim Ballard was filed by a Colombian woman who claims a character based on her was portrayed in a “defamatory and slanderous” way in the film “Sound of Freedom.” The controversial independent film, which features Ballard as the main character, was an astounding box-office success in 2023 ...
What parts of the Sound of Freedom are not true? ›
“Sound of Freedom” was based on a true story but contains dramatized elements. Filmmakers took creative license in portraying the different ways that children can be trafficked, including in shipping containers.
Where is the money made from Sound of Freedom going? ›
| Sound of Freedom |
|---|
| Theater Access Costs $129,557,374 (52% of total box office revenue) |
|---|
| Payment to Filmmakers | $35,578,712 | (14%) |
| Angel Studios | $17,804,356 | (7%) |
| Total Box Office | $249,487,197 | (100%) |
12 more rowsMar 4, 2024
THE $5 MILLION RAISED FOR the distribution of Sound of Freedom went directly to Angel Studios — not the filmmakers. The cash was collected through VAS Portal, with more than 6,600 small investors putting up an average of $748.73 each.
How many children did Tim Ballard save? ›
Remember how I said his organization has rescued 3,800 victims? Of those 3,800, Tim and his wife, Katherine, have personally adopted two. He has a passion for rescuing exploited children around the world, and he's leading the charge against sex trafficking.
Sound of Freedom | Sound of Freedom recently won Best American Picture at the Septimius Awards in Amsterdam.
Were the brother and sister in Sound of Freedom real? ›
While the real-life little boy did have a sister, Tim's jungle search in the movie was instead very loosely inspired by his organization's real-life search for a little boy named Gardy, who had been kidnapped from the grounds of his father's church.
What is the Sound of Freedom about summary? ›
What is the criticism of Sound of Freedom? ›
Sound of Freedom itself has also been criticized by anti-trafficking experts for providing a "false perception" of child trafficking and promoting "rescue" tactics that may actually put real victims in danger.
What is the message in Sound of Freedom? ›
Repeated message is: "God's children are not for sale." You should do whatever you can to help stop evil acts against the helpless. In real life, the organization at the story's center has been accused of politicizing child trafficking and linked with conspiracy theories.
What religion is Jim Caviezel? ›
Caviezel is a devout Catholic. In a 2017 interview, Caviezel talked about the importance of his Catholic faith, the lasting impact that The Passion of the Christ has had on his life, and his special devotion to the Virgin Mary.
What are the allegations on the Sound of Freedom? ›
Tim Ballard, whose tales of going undercover to rescue children from international sex traffickers inspired the box office hit “Sound of Freedom,” has been accused of sexually assaulting five women who joined him on his sting operations.
Did Sound of Freedom beat Indiana Jones? ›
"Sound of Freedom" beat "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which played in nearly 2,000 more theaters and had a reported budget of $295 million.
What is the Disney controversy about? ›
The two sides started feuding in 2022 after Disney, under pressure from its staff, criticised the Parental Rights in Education Act, a controversial state law which initially prohibited classroom discussion and instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida's public schools.
What is the political issue in the sound of music? ›
Set in Austria during the years leading up to World War II, the musical accurately portrays the rise of Nazism in the region. While the show focuses primarily on the von Trapp family's story, it does include elements related to Nazism. These elements are vital to understanding the historical context of the period.
Plummer recalled how he wasn't happy with the 1965 film, other than working with Andrews. "I was a bit bored with the character," he said. Plummer also compared the studio's attempt to make the von Trapp patriarch interesting to "flogging a dead horse," stating that the subject matter just wasn't his "cup of tea."
Is Tim Ballard LDS? ›
Early life and education. Ballard grew up in California and graduated from La Cañada High School in 1994. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served a two-year mission to Chile.
