Not many people expected Sound of Freedom to be a box office hit since the movie came from a small film distribution studio, and it was going up against franchise movies like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Insidious: The Red Door in July 2023. However, the film starring Jim Caviezel exceeded expectations and earned $14 million on its first day in theaters. It has continued to be a triumph, despite being riddled with controversies concerning the movie's star and the real person his character is based on.
As of the writing of this article, Sound of Freedom has made $85 million at the box office against a $14.5 million budget, and it is showing no signs of stopping. Multiple reasons can for the movie's impressive accomplishments, but the real question that some should be asking is what its success signifies for the future of film. Sound of Freedom is unlike many other movies currently in theaters, but given the controversies surrounding the feature, one has to wonder if other studios will attempt to replicate its success.
Why Sound Of Freedom Has Been So Successful At The Box Office
Although Sound of Freedom's box office numbers shocked many, several factors can explain the movie's triumph. Firstly, Angel Studios, the film's distribution studio, chose the perfect date to release the project — July 4, aka Independence Day. The United States holiday has historically been a highly profitable day for movie theaters since families often gather at the cinema to celebrate. Plus, Sound of Freedom contains a plethora of patriotic undertones, making it a highly desirable movie to see on the Fourth of July.
Aside from its impressive opening day showing, word of mouth likely s for Sound of Freedom's continued success. It is as simple as the people who have seen the movie have told others to watch it, then they recommend it to their friends and family and share their positive thoughts about the film on social media, and the cycle continues. Angel Studios additionally utilized a "Pay It Forward" marketing strategy, enticing fans to buy tickets for the movie while also paying for someone else to go see it. Finally, the controversy surrounding Sound of Freedom surely didn't hurt the film's box office ticket sales. All press is good press, after all.
Will Hollywood Make More Movies Like Sound Of Freedom?
Taking Sound of Freedom's unprecedented achievements at the box office and its controversies into , movie fans must be curious about what it all means for the future of Hollywood. Will studios start producing more faith-based content? Or will executives want to avoid the same controversy that has followed Alejandro Monteverde's recent project? No one has straightforward answers to these questions, but experts can make educated predictions about how Sound of Freedom's success will affect cinema going forward. While speaking with BBC, Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at ComScore, shared:
"[Having] all different types of movies for all different types of audiences is a really good thing for the industry – not only to have diverse content out there, but also from a business standpoint, it can make a whole lot of sense."
Dergarabedian firmly believes that studios other than Angel Studios will study Sound of Freedom and its accomplishments while preparing future content. As indicated above, even bad press can contribute to unbelievable box office numbers. If people continue to talk about a film despite debate about the truth behind its content, that means that more and more individuals will flock to the theaters to see what the fuss is all about. Only time will tell if the senior media analyst's theory comes true, but the movie about Tim Ballard's story has undoubtedly shaken up Hollywood.
Will Angel Studios Become Bigger & Will Its Approach Become More Common?
Before gaining the distribution rights to Sound of Freedom, Angel Studios was a small media company and film distribution studio based in Utah. It had a couple of successes, including The Chosen and His Only Son, but nothing compared to Sound of Freedom's box office returns. However, that might all change, thanks to the movie starring Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard. The studio has the chance to capitalize on Sound of Freedom's success and continue releasing films containing similar premises and religious and patriotic undertones. In turn, its brand will grow. However, Angel Studios has always been in the business of working with producers who have a very particular vision.
Most of Angel Studios' content is faith-based, and the company uses unique methods to get funding to promote its films and television series. The executives employ crowdfunding strategies to raise money for their projects, and they utilize "Torches," which are short clips of potential projects that audiences can . Angel Studios excessively relies on others' help to release movies and television shows — including the "Pay It Forward" marketing ploy mentioned above. It's unlikely that these strategies will stop even if Angel Studios becomes bigger after Sound of Freedom, but other media companies could borrow them for their own projects.
In addition to exploring different content similar to Sound of Freedom, other studios could examine Angel Studios' marketing methods for the hit film and use it for their movies and television series. Of course, Hollywood executives must weigh the pros and cons, given the controversy that has followed Sound of Freedom. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to making as much money as possible.
Sound Of Freedom's Success Makes ion Of The Christ 2 Bigger
One movie that will immediately benefit from Sound of Freedom's box office accomplishments is ion of the Christ 2. The sequel of ion of the Christ will likely premiere in the spring of 2024 — 20 years following the release of the original film. Mel Gibson will return to direct, and Jim Caviezel, who played Tim Ballard in Sound of Freedom, is set to reprise his role as Jesus Christ. Given the movie's religious themes and its star, those who watched and loved the 2023 Angel Studios film will likely see ion of the Christ 2 in theaters.
The first movie was a success in its own right, so many will watch the sequel regardless of what happened at the box office in July 2023. However, the film based on Tim Ballard's story will undoubtedly help promote ion of the Christ 2. Gibson and Caviezel could (and should) capitalize on the success of Sound of Freedom to their new movie when it comes to theaters in 2024.
Source: BBC
