Angel Studio’s faith-based film ‘Sound of Freedom’ opened last Tuesday, Independence Day, and has been drawing an overwhelmingly impressive audience ever since. According to Variety, the “religious thriller,” which is a movie about child sex trafficking, has collected $40 million just six days after it was released. Captivating audiences around the nation, ‘Sound of Freedom’ had one of the greatest premieres in American theaters for a faith-based film.
Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution at Angel Studios, the independent studio that’s backing the film, shared that their ticket sales exceeded their expectations on opening day, and they plan to continue knocking it out of the park as people talk about the incredible film and its compelling story. Purdie shared that he has received messages from across the country telling him that theaters are sold-out, and numerous locations have given it standing ovations.
The synopsis on IMDB for ‘Sound of Freedom’ reads “the incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers.”
Recognizing that faith-based films are often not promoted by mainstream Hollywood, Purdie also thanked AMC, Cinemark and Regal for “having the courage to release ‘Sound of Freedom’ during the busiest movie season of the year.” Releasing a faith-based film in these theaters helped it reach a tremendous audience as its listing helped catch the attention of moviegoers checking in with their local theaters. Variety reports that “Box office analysts say it’s noteworthy that “Sound of Freedom” managed to crack the top five on domestic charts in the heat of summer, a time of year that’s traditionally reserved for big-budget action tentpoles, superhero sequels or escapist romps.”
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian shared that the extraordinary success of ‘Sound of Freedom’ “reflects a demand by an underserved audience who are hungry for entertainment that reflects their values and beliefs.” While the entertainment industry is taking giant steps in other directions, having an option for those who share the values promoted in the film is giving Americans hope that they may see more of what fits their movie preferences.