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How Jim Caviezel’s Faith-Based ‘Sound of Freedom’ Became This Summer’s Unlikely Box Office Hit
Variety ^ | 7/9/2023 | Rebecca Rubin

Posted on 07/10/2023 2:08:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway

“Sound of Freedom,” a religious thriller led by “The Passion of the Christ” star Jim Caviezel, is becoming an unlikely box office savior. The faith-based movie about child sex trafficking has collected an impressive $40 million after six days of release.

“Sound of Freedom” opened last Tuesday, generating a mighty $14.2 million on the Independence Day holiday. The film picked up another $18.2 million between Friday and Sunday, enough to place third on domestic box office charts behind “Insidious: The Red Door” ($32.6 million) and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” ($26.5 million). It’s playing in 2,850 North American theaters, a smaller footprint than “Insidious” and “Indiana Jones (3,188 theaters and 4,600 theaters, respectively).

“As with our July 4th numbers, today’s numbers exceed our expectations, and we’re going to continue this momentum,” said Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution at Angel Studios, the independent studio that’s backing the film, in a statement. “We’re getting messages from all over the country telling us about packed theaters, sold-out theaters and spontaneous standing ovations for the film in numerous locations. Seeing this film has become a must, thanks to incredible word-of-mouth.”

Purdie also thanked AMC, Cinemark and Regal, which are three of the biggest movie theater chains in the country, for “having the courage to release ‘Sound of Freedom’ during the busiest movie season of the year.”

It’s one of the biggest openings in recent times for a faith-based film, according to Comscore, which counts this spring’s Kelsey Grammar-led “Jesus Revolution” ($15.8 million debut), 2019’s “Breakthrough” with Chrissy Metz ($11.2 million debut) and 2018’s Erwin brothers musical drama “I Can Only Imagine” ($17.1 million debut) as other top turnouts for movies that cater to religious audiences.

Hollywood rarely backs films that are geared toward this particular demographic. But when they do, it’s a sector that has proven to reliably turn out in force. A similar crowed helped to propel the low-budget “Jesus Revolution” to $53 million, enough to rank among the top 25 domestic releases of this year. “Sound of Freedom” looks to eclipse those box office returns in a matter of days, as long as momentum sustains during the week.

“Sound of Freedom” was originally set at 20th Century Fox and was completed in 2018 before Disney acquired the studio the following year and shelved the film. It’s now being distributed independently by Angel Studios, which recently released this spring’s Old Testament-inspired “His Only Son” and spent $15 million on the Caviezel-led action-thriller.

Religious and conservative media groups have rallied behind the film, which is partially crowdfunded. The Utah-based Angel Studios used other unconventional efforts to promote the film, including an app that allows people to buy and then donate tickets to those who can’t afford the price of admission. About $2.6 million of opening day sales were earned through the “Pay It Forward” app, which the company framed as a way to raise awareness about child trafficking.

Alejandro Monteverde wrote and directed “Sound of Freedom,” based on the true story of Tim Ballard (Caviezel), a former government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Mira Sorvino and Bill Camp co-star.

Opening weekend audiences were enthusiastic, bestowing the film an “A+” CinemaScore. It’s the only movie playing in theaters right now with that high of a grade. Ticket buyers have been predominately female, while more than 50% of cinemagoers were over the age of 45 years old.

“There’s support for the movie from white conservative political groups, but a third of the audience is Hispanic,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The inspiration, action and Latin America-based story are drawing a diverse audience, not just ethnically,” he adds, “but in age and gender.”

Critics have been mostly positive toward the movie, which holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised “Sound of Freedom” as “a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”

“Sound of Freedom” has also stirred up some controversy, with detractors accusing the film of embellishing the reality of child exploitation and stoking QAnon conspiracy theories. Rolling Stone called “Sound of Freedom” a “QAnon-tinged thriller,” one that is designed to “appeal to the conscience of a conspiracy-addled boomer.”

Box office analysts say it’s noteworthy that “Sound of Freedom” managed to crack the top five on domestic charts in the heat of summer, a time of year that’s traditionally reserved for big-budget action tentpoles, superhero sequels or escapist romps.

“The strong response to faith-based films reflects a demand by an underserved audience who are hungry for entertainment that reflects their values and beliefs,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst. “Such content can indeed find an enthusiastic audience, generate solid box office and impressive profits for their investors.”


TOPICS: Religion; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: movies; soundoffreedom
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1 posted on 07/10/2023 2:08:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

[unlikely] == [our efforts to stop it were not successful]


2 posted on 07/10/2023 2:11:49 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: nickcarraway

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/

It’s down to third place already after a week. I think it had a good 4th of July. It’s made 40 million to date.


3 posted on 07/10/2023 2:12:21 PM PDT by napscoordinator (DeSantis is a beast! Florida is the freest state in the country! )
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To: nickcarraway

It was not at all unlikely. The movie was well-made, has a message the world needs to hear, and was effectively marketed under the radar for its base audience. Only people stuck in the leftist bubble of Hollywood could not see it coming, any more than the leftist bubble of DC could see Trump coming seven years ago, or Reagan coming 43 years ago.


4 posted on 07/10/2023 2:13:12 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: nickcarraway

I don’t understand why “Sound of Freedom” is described as faith-based and religious. Can anyone explain?


5 posted on 07/10/2023 2:13:57 PM PDT by devere
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To: nickcarraway

Bravo!


6 posted on 07/10/2023 2:14:08 PM PDT by FES0844
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To: nickcarraway

Saw it this weekend and it was great. While Angel Studios is clearly religiously oriented, I didn’t really find the movie to be a “religious” movie as much as a criminal/mystery story. Unless you consider stopping the trafficking of children to be “religious.”


7 posted on 07/10/2023 2:15:14 PM PDT by mykroar (what is extraordinarily important is this—who will count the votes, and how. - J0eStalin)
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To: nickcarraway

AMC, Cinemark and Regal. How long before the cancel crowd makes those theatre chains withdraw?


8 posted on 07/10/2023 2:15:42 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: napscoordinator

Quote: “It’s down to third place already after a week. I think it had a good 4th of July. It’s made 40 million to date.”

Which is not shocking given it isn’t being shown on nearly as many screens as the other movies.


9 posted on 07/10/2023 2:17:11 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: napscoordinator

$40M against a $15M budget. And it just finished it’s first weekend. It’s gonna make big money.


10 posted on 07/10/2023 2:20:17 PM PDT by mykroar (what is extraordinarily important is this—who will count the votes, and how. - J0eStalin)
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To: devere
I don’t understand why “Sound of Freedom” is described as faith-based and religious. Can anyone explain?

I'll hazard a guess that it's described that way as a subtle dig, in order to dissuade young, woke, and the otherwise Leftist-inclined to avoid it. ("oh, it's just some religious thing, nevermind").

11 posted on 07/10/2023 2:25:03 PM PDT by workerbee (==)
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To: nickcarraway

You can be sure that all attacks on this film come from human traffickers and pedophiles.


12 posted on 07/10/2023 2:26:54 PM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: Steely Tom

Yup. Unlikely. Them dang folkx that dont want kids abused and trafficked.


13 posted on 07/10/2023 2:43:35 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉)
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To: devere
"I don’t understand why “Sound of Freedom” is described as faith-based and religious."

Lead actor quotes scripture to a pedophile:

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6

14 posted on 07/10/2023 2:56:00 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again" - J. Hendrix)
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Incredible movie.

The theater was packed.....all ages of young - old adults.....all races.

God bless the makers of Sound of Freedom.

Tell all of your friends that it is a must see.

(We hadn’t been to a movie theater in YEARS, before seeing SoF. Well worth the outing.)


15 posted on 07/10/2023 2:56:16 PM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a conspiracy theory in ‘20 is now fact. Land of the sheep, home of the knaves)
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To: Psalm 73
“I don't understand why “Sound of Freedom” is described as faith-based and religious.”
Lead actor quotes scripture to a pedophile:

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Matthew 18:6


🙄

Have you even seen the movie, Psalm 73?

He is posing as another pedo....to get the info of how/where these kids are being trafficked to/from.

What is wrong with quoting Scripture.....to ANYONE????? Maybe the pedo’s eardrums eventually melted.

16 posted on 07/10/2023 3:01:03 PM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a conspiracy theory in ‘20 is now fact. Land of the sheep, home of the knaves)
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To: nickcarraway

17 posted on 07/10/2023 3:03:28 PM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a conspiracy theory in ‘20 is now fact. Land of the sheep, home of the knaves)
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To: Jane Long

Our Florida theater was so packed we had the only option of sitting on the first row or handicapped……

Packed out and very respectful….you could have heard a pin drop
Clapping at the end


18 posted on 07/10/2023 3:17:44 PM PDT by Guenevere (“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”)
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To: Seruzawa

Indeed.


19 posted on 07/10/2023 3:19:08 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: mykroar

Indiana Jones had made 286 million in a week. Yes it costs more. But it’s not the doom and gloom many here are celebrating.


20 posted on 07/10/2023 3:20:23 PM PDT by napscoordinator (DeSantis is a beast! Florida is the freest state in the country! )
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