The faith-based action movie Sound Of Freedom has surpassed all expectations and is expected to gross $40 million at the US box office in its opening weekend.
The low-budget thriller about the global child trafficking, which grossed $14 million on its opening day, beat the latest big-budget Indiana Jones installment.
And conservative filmmakers behind surprise hit Angel Studios have now released a statement to document the film’s continued success.
Brandon Purdie, head of theater distribution said, “As with our July 4th numbers, today’s numbers exceed our expectations, and we will continue on this momentum. SOUND of FREEDOM has taken on a life of its own’.
“We are getting reports from all over the country about full houses, sold out houses and spontaneous standing ovations for the film in numerous locations. Seeing this film has become a must thanks to incredible word of mouth,’
Drama: Faith-based action movie Sound Of Freedom has surpassed all expectations and is now expected to gross over $40 million at the box office in its opening weekend in the US (Jim Caviezel pictured in the film)
Beaten: The low-budget thriller about the global child trafficking, which grossed $14 million on its opening day, beat the latest big-budget installment of Indiana Jones (pictured)
Continued: “We are immensely grateful to AMC, Cinemark, Regal and all of our theater partners – and their hard-working theater staff – for working with us to meet the rising demand for this film and for having the courage to release SOUND OF FREEDOM during the busiest movie season of the year,’
Dailymail.com spoke to two of the Angel executives behind the successful release, which was funded in part by a group of studio loyalists.
“We’re so excited about the box office success, but what that number actually represents is awareness,” says Jordan Harmon, who co-founded Angel Studios with his three brothers.
The film is based on the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard, who quits his job at the FBI to avoid the bureaucracy that comes with going abroad to rescue children from human traffickers.
The studio aimed to sell two million tickets in its opening week to represent the number of kidnapped children around the world.
On July 4, Sound of Freedom grossed $14 million, while the latest Indiana Jones movie only grossed $11.5 million, according to the Post-millennial.
The film, also starring Mira Sorvino, is playing in 2,600 theaters nationwide and has received mostly positive reviews, even from critics who disagree with the studio’s apparent cultural alignment.
The film currently holds a new 88 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 100 percent with no announced release date in the UK.
Big hit: Brandon Purdie, head of theater distribution said, “As with our July 4th numbers, today’s numbers exceed our expectations, and we will continue on this momentum. SOUND of FREEDOM has taken on a life of its own’
“Let’s assume you’re not, like me, a right-wing fundamentalist conspiracy theorist looking for a dark, faith-based suspense movie to watch over the holiday weekend,” wrote Variety’s Owen Gleiberman.
“Even then, you don’t have to have extreme convictions to experience Sound of Freedom as a compelling film that sheds authentic light on one of the pivotal criminal horrors of our time, one Hollywood usually shies away from.”
Part of the film’s early success is due to the studio’s proprietary pay-it-forward technology, which allows moviegoers to purchase tickets for others who might otherwise not be able to see the film.
Sound of Freedom made more than $10 million in presales, according to the company Variety.
Gutted: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s lackluster opening continued as industry estimates the summer action flick grossed about $82 million
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s lackluster opening continued as industry estimates grossed the summer action movie around $82 million.
The James Mangold-directed action adventure, which stars Harrison Ford in the titular role for a fifth time, earned an estimated $11.8 million on Monday, Variety reported, bringing domestic sales to $71 million.
The film, which also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas and Mads Mikkelsen, must have stronger numbers to be profitable, as Disney and Lucasfilm spent $295 million on the film’s production.
Adding to the pressure, the film had lukewarm results on its international debut, taking in $70.1 million in overseas markets through Monday. Box office Mojo reported.