The recent success of Sound of Freedom at the domestic box office has left many surprised – the movie has surpassed Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny and Mission Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One, both big-budget sequels from famous franchises. Sound of Freedom has currently grossed $174 million in the US, despite a budget of only $14.5 million.
When Disney acquired Fox, Sound of Freedom was in development however, Disney killed it. The producers of the movie sought to raise money to buy the movie back from Disney and put it up for release. With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, their efforts to pitch the script to studios were in vain. Fortunately, Angel Studios came to the rescue, funding the movie’s marketing budget and putting in an unusual box office tactic- to add a video of Caviezel’s speech in the end credits, urging viewers to “pay it forward.” The pay-it-for method worked and it help overtake Disney during its opening weekend.
Following the opening it was expected that the movie would trail because Tom Cruise’s latest Mission Impossible installment was expected to take over the market.
It didn’t.
“The Sound Of Freedom” has grossed more than Indiana Jone and Mission Impossible.
The movie’s director, Alejandro Monteverde, is very pleased with the response to his movie. He never dreamed the movie would preform as well as it has calling it a “phenomenon” that the movie has become. He had initially been skeptical of the concept suggested by Angel Studios, but now respects how the film was distributed. Monteverde also believes that awareness creates more change than sending money to an organization, which is why he loved having Caviezel in the film.
Critics tried to kill the movie but it just kept going and going. It’s an inspiring success story that shows how perseverance can lead to great success. It’s a reminder that anything can be achieved if you put in enough effort. It’s also a sign that a movie with a small budget can make it big if it’s marketed correctly.
