'Sound of Freedom' Dethrones Disney, Beats Out 'Indiana Jones' on its Opening Day
While celebrating America’s birthday is a momentous occasion every year, this Fourth of July was particularly notable in terms of the national holiday’s box office competition.
The child-trafficking thriller “Sound of Freedom,” distributed by Angel Studios, opened to a $14.2 million debut in the United States on July 4, according to the film industry website The Numbers, effectively beating Disney/Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” at the domestic box office.
Despite playing in almost double the number of theaters, the “Indiana Jones” sequel, which opened June 30, brought in just under $11.7 million in the U.S. on July 4.
Competition between the two is ironic, considering “Sound of Freedom” was previously signed with Disney until the studio backed out a few years ago, The Christian Post reported. Now the movie is a guaranteed hit, all without Disney’s help.
The holiday’s box office receipts may not have a very wide gap between the two films, but considering the independent movie went toe-to-toe with a Hollywood blockbuster and managed to come out on top, the former’s opening day was a huge win for all those involved in the cinematic project.
“Sound of Freedom” was expected to hit a $20 million total in its first six days in theaters, according to Deadline. For context, the film cost $15 million to produce, not including marketing, meaning it is well on its way to breaking even and possibly turning a profit.
This desirable outcome is far less likely for the lackluster “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which cost nearly $300 million to produce — before marketing costs — and so far has made over $153 million at the worldwide box office, according to The Numbers data as of July 6. To break even, it needs to bring in between $737 million and $885 million — a lofty goal for a massively expensive film.
“Sound of Freedom” played in 2,600 theaters on July 4 and has received resounding reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore.
“Thanks to fans around the country, ‘Sound of Freedom’ earned the top spot as America’s number one movie on Independence Day,” Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, told The Christian Post. “We’ve received numerous messages telling us theaters are either packed or sold out. 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.”
Others were also celebrating the news online.
BREAKING: SOUND OF FREEDOM IS NOW THE #1 MOVIE IN AMERICA
WE BEAT DISNEY pic.twitter.com/PQl7jbewUm
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 5, 2023
Just got out of the movie theater where I watched #SoundofFreedom by @AngelStudiosInc starring #JimCaviezel based on the true story of #TimBallard .
It is a movie that is speaking about one of the most important topics in the world today.. child slavery, #HumanTrafficking
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) July 5, 2023
LOLOLOL HUGE win for #SoundOfFreedom especially over a movie studio that dropped it when they took over …cough Disney #IndianaJones #disney https://t.co/qyV05862aR
— OMB Reviews (@OMBReviews) July 5, 2023
“Sound of Freedom” tells the true story of former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard, who quit the federal agency to rescue a young boy’s sister from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. He now leads Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-sex trafficking nonprofit responsible for rescuing children and bringing traffickers to justice.
Actor Jim Caviezel, best known for his portrayal of Jesus in 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” played Ballard in the critically-acclaimed indie film. Coincidentally, Caviezel has a knack for being a part of such record-breaking movies, as “The Passion of the Christ” also dominated the domestic box office upon its release on Ash Wednesday 19 years ago, with more than $83 million in box office receipts by the end of its opening weekend.
Overall, “The Passion of the Christ” took in more than $600 million in domestic and international ticket sales.
Of its $14 million holiday gross, “Sound of Freedom” made $11.5 million in direct box office sales and $2.6 million from its own “pay it forward” program, which allows people to buy tickets for others to go see the movie in theaters.
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