The little movie that could, “The Sound of Freedom,” continues to crush at the box office since being released on the Fourth of July. The movie, a true story that stars Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security officer that quits his job to rescue children from human trafficking, has taken on a life of its own as word of mouth spread. However, the road hasn’t been easy.
The film was shelved for five years after filming was completed in 2018. 20th Century Fox, which originally produced the movie, was purchased by Disney in 2019, and The Sound of Freedom was subsequently back-burnered by the Mouse.
After several other outlets turned down the movie, including allegedly Netflix, faith-based Angel Studios bought the rights to the movie in March 2023 and released it on July 4th. The rest is literal box office history.
Due to strong word of mouth in faith-based communities, the movie opened ahead of the much-ballyhooed new Disney-produced Indiana Jones movie, despite being in half of the theaters of Dr. Jones. More theater chains added the movie after seeing the strong opening, and the film is sweeping the South and Midwest with stunning box office numbers.
This is epic, watch till end 😂.
Despite the media labeling it a Qanon conspiracy theory, Sound of Freedom was #1 at the box office beating Indiana Jones, and the groomers at Disney are mad!
GOD’s CHILDREN ARE NO LONGER FOR SALE#SOFMovie pic.twitter.com/bi5AYrrALG
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 13, 2023
It helps that the movie is a well-done, thoughtful, and action-packed true story that tackles one of the biggest issues facing humanity in human trafficking. It is estimated that there are more people in slavery right now than during the entirety of the trans-Atlantic trade.
Particularly heartbreaking is the number of children sold into slavery. Tim Ballard’s story is a deep dive into the underground world of sex trafficking, and its message has resonated with everyone that has seen it, as evidenced by its unprecedented A+ score on CinemaScore.
Everyone except the leftist media and movie critics, of course. Liberal outlets have done everything they can to bad-mouth Caviezel and the film, but their efforts have been for naught. As more celebrities and public figures endorse the movie, the more momentum it picks up.
After 8 days, the movie had earned an estimated $45 million domestically. Those are pretty heady numbers for a film that only cost $12 million to make, but underscore how it has taken on a life of its own.
Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon saidthis
:“This movie has now taken on a life of its own to become something more than that, a grassroots movement. The world needs to see ‘Sound of Freedom’ and we know that our biggest competitive advantage — our incredible fans and investors — are going to make sure that happens.”
It truly has been an event the industry has never seen before. Word of mouth generally isn’t effective advertising for wide-release movies, but the quality of the film and the importance of the subject matter have created the perfect buzz to make the movie spread like wildfire.
It also helps that Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in the “Passion of the Christ,” is a devout Christian, openly vocal about his faith and the evils of Hollywood. In short, he is someone church-goers and everyday people like and identify with.
Caviezel has a message for moviegoerseverywhere: “I’ve always said do you want to be liked by many, the world, Hollywood, or do you want to be loved by one, which is God. Because love don’t come from man it comes from above. So, I’m sitting here thinking about all you amazing Americans that are fighting the battle and helping us in this war against the greatest evil that has ever been. Because you know that God’s children are not for sale.”
It’s a powerful message from a faithful, good man. As more Americans, and hopefully, people worldwide, see “The Sound of Freedom,” more light can be shed on the subject matter, and Hollywood and the left can be put on notice that audiences crave more than virtue signaling and forced diversity.
