The record-breaking summer hit film Sound of Freedom crossed $175 million this week, marking another incredible feat for a movie that struggled to get a distributor.
The Angel Studios film, released July 4, ranks No. 10 among all 2023 films, placing it ahead of more big-budget movies such as No. 11 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ($173 million), No. 12 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One ($161 million) and No. 13 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($157 million). Pixar’s Elemental ranks No. 15 with $150 million.
Sound of Freedom wasn’t even listed in a June 22 summer movie preview by BoxOfficePro.com, a leading website that forecasts box office revenue. It climbed to No. 1 at the box office four times, including on opening day.
The PG-13 film was inspired by a true story and follows a government agent who quits his job so he can rescue children in other countries from sex trafficking. Jim Caviezel portrays Ballard.
Earlier this year, Sound of Freedom became the first summer film with a wide release (2,500-plus theaters) to increase its revenue on the second weekend, according to data at BoxOfficeMojo.com. (It gained 38 percent.) Movies typically decrease in revenue on their second weekend.
Angel Studios announced this week that the 6,678 people who invested in the marketing budget of the film – the P&A (prints and advertising) – will be paid back their investment plus a 20 percent profit. Angel’s unique model allows movie fans to invest in projects.
“6,678 Angel Guild members have now received $1.20 for every $1 they invested into the launch budget for Sound of Freedom, and we are thrilled to be able to get funds back to them in three months,” said Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios. “The Angel Guild is key to our theatrical strategy and paying out as quickly as possible is always our first priority.”
Related:
‘Sound of Freedom’ Investors Reap 20 Percent Profit as Movie Strikes Gold
4 Things You Should Know about Sound of Freedom
Angel Studios Is Revolutionizing Hollywood 'Forever,' Exec Says: 'This Is a Game-Changer'
Photo courtesy: ©Angel Studios, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.