Sound of Freedom continues to reign supreme at the box office and its commercial success can be attributed to several reasons. Released on 4 July 2023, Sound of Freedom focuses on a federal agent, Tim Ballard, who sets out on a dangerous mission to rescue a young girl from child traffickers. In his pursuit to race against time and find the girl, he even quits his job as a Special Agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and risks his life to execute the rescue mission. Unfolding primarily in the depths of the Colombian jungle, Sound of Freedom is an uplifting tale of courage and heroism.
Although Sound of Freedom faced many distribution challenges before its release, it has done incredibly well at the box office by opening at $11,563,200. Even during its opening weekend, the movie's commercial returns only grew from strength to strength, with its box office currently grossing a total of $40,207,249 (via Box Office Mojo). Considering how Sound of Freedom was funded by a small studio and has a fairly low budget, it is hard not to be curious about how the film is doing so well and even giving popular franchise films like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny some tough competition.
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6 Sound Of Freedom's Budget Helped It Become A Box Office Success
Sound of Freedom was made on a modest budget of $14.5 million (via The Wall Street Journal). Because of its low budget, Sound of Freedom did not have to generate as much revenue as its other big-budget competitors like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to be considered financially successful. Since its overall budget was not too high, even a relatively average box office was enough to recover its investments in production and make it a profitable endeavor.
Franchise films like Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny have heavy investments behind their production, marketing, and distribution. Hence, they must reach a blockbuster status to see any profit margins. Sound of Freedom, in contrast, can break even without raking in as much revenue as bigger-budget movies. This explains why after earning $40,207,249 in its first week, Sound of Freedom was already successful because it had gained 2.5x its production budget.
5 Sound Of Freedom Released At The Right Time
Sound of Freedom gained another solid edge from its 4th of July release because it gave the movie a big holiday opening before its first-weekend boost. Considering how several box office hits like Men In Black, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Independence Day premiered on the 4th of July, the observed holiday seems like a favorable day for movies since it is anyway a time for family gatherings and outings. Another aspect that contributed to its box office performance is its patriotic undertones.
Sound of Freedom features an American hero who braves all odds and even puts his life on the line for the greater good, which seems to be in perfect tandem with the cultural significance of the 4th of July. Since the 4th of July is, more than anything else, a celebration of American culture and values, what better way to celebrate than watching a movie revolving around the courageous endeavors of a national hero? Sound of Freedom's true story connotations add even more heft to the strong emotional connection and sense of patriotism it evokes in audiences.
4 Sound Of Freedom Caters To Different Audiences To Many Movies
Sound of Freedom, on the surface, is about an action-packed rescue operation, but it also has faith-based underpinning in its overarching storyline. These faith-based elements allow Sound of Freedom to appeal to a specific and dedicated audience of religious individuals who may not be the primary targeted audience of other mainstream movies. With its religious undertones, Sound of Freedom taps into the beliefs and values of these specific audiences, making it all the more emotionally resonant for them.
Considering how faith-based movies cater to a specific audience, it forms a separate entertainment niche in and of itself that already has an existing viewer base. Sound of Freedom leverages the niche's existing following by spinning a faith-centric yarn into its awe-inspiring action drama. Since religion also fosters community, it seems likely that the faith-based elements of Sound of Freedom also encouraged several communities of people to promote it among themselves and, in turn, increase its revenues.
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3 Sound Of Freedom Has Great Word Of Mouth
When it comes to its ratings, Sound of Freedom's Tomatometer is currently at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that it is average from a critical standpoint. However, its audience score of 100% on the same platform tells a different story and implies that audiences are spreading a good word or two about it. Despite its perfect audience ratings on one website, opinions about the movie may still vary. However, Sound of Freedom's ability to impress a targeted group of people allows it to generate enough buzz to perform fairly well at the box office and earn a lot more than its production budget.
2 Sound Of Freedom's Studio Used An App To Help Buy Tickets For Others
Sound of Freedom had initially signed a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox. However, when the Walt Disney Company purchased 20th Century Fox, Sound of Freedom got shelved and its producer, Eduardo Verastegui, had to wait a long time for Disney to free the movie's rights. Fortunately, after Verastegui regained the rights to the film, he approached a small studio, called Angel Studios, that used crowdfunding equity to garner funds for its distribution. Apart from that, Angel Studios also used an app to implement a "Pay It Forward" marketing strategy that allowed people to pay for tickets that someone else could later claim for free and watch the movie (via Angel Studios).
This payment strategy added $2,679,000 to Sound of Freedom's box office returns. Sound of Freedom's faith-based elements and overarching themes surrounding patriotism and protecting children from evil criminal organizations likely encouraged people to buy tickets through the "Pay It Forward" gateway, ultimately contributing to its success. Even the fact that it draws its inspiration from a true story may have further inspired people to buy free tickets for others through Angel Studio's app.
1 Sound Of Freedom's True Story & Controversy Contributed To Its Publicity
While many are lauding Sound of Freedom for its depiction of Tim Ballard's story and how he rescued a child, there are some ongoing debates about the authenticity of the movie's true story. These debates primarily revolve around earlier reports (via Vice World News) suggesting that Tim Ballard's non-profit organization Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) could be making misleading claims about their rescue operations. Since controversy triggers curiosity and can have a counter-programming effect on audiences, Sound of Freedom's controversies possibly contributed to its publicity and box office earnings.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, The Wall Street Journal, Rotten Tomatoes, Angel Studios, Vice World News
