A faith-driven movie about child sex trafficking has shocked Hollywood by rocketing up the box-office charts this summer, edging a Disney franchise film on opening night and then beating a breakout horror movie one week later.
Angel Studios’ “Sound of Freedom” (PG-13) opened at No. 1 in the nation on the Fourth of July to top “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and has grossed more than $54 million — a stunning number that already places it ahead of the also-hit movie “Jesus Revolution” ($52 million) but also ahead of well-known pics such as “Air” and “80 for Brady.” It climbed back to No. 1 on its seventh and eighth days of release, beating “Insidious: The Red Door,” a horror film that had ruled the previous weekend in the top spot.
The film tells the true-life story of government agent Tim Ballard, who quit his job at the Department of Homeland Security so he could dedicate his life to saving children overseas from child sex trafficking. Jim Caviezel stars in the lead role.
Stories that ‘amplify light’
Jared Geesey, senior vice president of global distribution at Angel Studios, told The Baptist Paper that the film’s success has surprised Hollywood.
“What better way to impact culture and your local community than to show up at your local theater and to say, ‘This is the kind of story that we want told, these are the kinds of stories that amplify light that we want in our community.’ And so that public vote of showing up is what creates an impact on our culture,” he said.
A series of factors have driven the film’s success.
First, Angel Studios has a large fan base and solid track record, having launched not only “The Chosen” but also “His Only Son” and “The Wingfeather Saga” — all popular titles.
Second, Angel’s unique “Pay it Forward” model gives fans the opportunity to purchase tickets for strangers, boosting its numbers from those who want to support the message. (Nearly 20% of its opening day numbers came from such tickets.)
Third, the film won high marks from fans and mainstream critics alike, receiving an A+ CinemaScore rating from moviegoers and then a “fresh” score of 77 at Rotten Tomatoes.
Fourth, Christians and political conservatives have joined forces to back the film, believing it was wrongly shunned by Hollywood and by the mainstream press.
Addressing social media rumors
In its second week of release, rumors began circulating on social media that AMC had tried to thwart the film by turning down the air conditioning and even turning down the volume in select locations in order to force fans to leave. Angel Studios rejected the rumors and said AMC is a “key advocate” of the film.
“We understand there are rumors — predominantly in social media — that AMC theaters have made it difficult for fans to see “Sound of Freedom” in local AMC theaters, and we want to make it clear these rumors are not accurate,” Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution for Angel Studios, said.
‘Additional screens … this weekend’
“AMC has been an outstanding partner for Angel Studios, and in fact, as a result of the movie’s performance and consumer demand, AMC has agreed to add additional screens for “Sound of Freedom” this weekend.”
Purdie added, “Angel Studios and the producers of ‘Sound of Freedom’ are asking our fans to support AMC, and all of our other theatrical partners.”
“Sound of Freedom” is rated PG-13 for some language and strong thematic elements of child sex trafficking. Learn more at Angel.com.
