Jim Caviezel stars as controversial anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard in The Sound of Freedom. Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
- “Sound of Freedom” is a box office hit, grossing $90 million since its July 4th premiere.
- The film is a huge hit for an indie film – and there’s clearly a market for this type of content.
- Films aimed at conservative Christians have also been successful in the past.
“God’s children are not for sale,” says the hero of the blockbuster Sound of Freedom, about a former Homeland Security agent who goes on the apostate to save children from the sex trade.
While the film is not overtly political, there are some religious references. Some have expressed shock at its success — according to Box Office Mojo, the film has grossed $90 million to date, against a budget of $14.5 million — but there’s precedent for overtly religious content capturing an audience find.
The film was praised by commentators from Fox News, the most-watched cable news channel, and far-right pundits with a large online following. Former President Donald Trump himself had planned to show the film on Wednesday.
Films marketed to conservative Christians have a history of exceeding expectations and plummeting at the box office.
Earlier this year, biblical drama His Only Son (also from Utah-based distributor Angel Studios, behind Sound of Freedom) grossed $12 million on a budget of $250,000. The God Is Not Dead film series has also been a box office success since the first film was released in 2014, grossing $64 million worldwide on a budget of $2 million.
The faith-based TV series The Chosen (another by Angel Studios) was also successful over its three seasons. When the first two episodes of Season 3 hit theaters as a special event in the fall, the series grossed $8.7 million in one weekend.
“Sound of Freedom” has sparked controversy, in part due to star Jim Caviezel’s ties to QAnon and the questionable character his character is based on. The film has also been accused of misrepresenting the reality of anti-trafficking work.
But it’s Angel Studios’ biggest hit yet, proving there’s a market for stories aimed at conservative Christians.
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