SOUND OF FREEDOM Shocks Hollywood, Exceeds Expectations
By Movieguide® Contributor
In its debut week, SOUND OF FREEDOM became a hit.
The movie hit No. 3 at the box office in its opening week, earning almost $20M.
“The strong response to faith-based films reflects a demand by an underserved audience who are hungry for entertainment that reflects their values and beliefs,” Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst said. “Such content can indeed find an enthusiastic audience, generate solid box office and impressive profits for their investors.”
SOUND OF FREEDOM made a statement during its July fourth opening, generating $14.2 million on its first day. The momentum continued over the weekend as it made another $18.2 million over Saturday and Sunday.
In total, the movie grossed $40.2 million in its first week, making it one of the biggest openings in recent years for a faith-based film. JESUS REVOLUTION ($15.8 million debut), BREAKTHROUGH ($11.2 million debut) and I CAN ONLY IMAGINE ($17.1 million debut) are other popular religious movies that SOUND OF FREEDOM easily beat.
“As with our July 4th numbers, today’s numbers exceed out expectations, and we’re going to continue this momentum,” Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution at Angel Studios said. “We’re getting messages from all over the country telling us about packed theaters, sold-out theaters and spontaneous standing ovations for the film in numerous locations. Seeing this film has become a must, thanks to incredible word-of-mouth.”
At a time of the year traditionally reserved for big-budget action adventures and blockbuster children’s hits, SOUND OF FREEDOM was told not to open if it wanted its message to be heard. However, the moviemakers agreed that there was no better day for the movie to open and for them to declare that “God’s children are not for sale.”
The movie’s wild success is in large part thanks to its widespread demographic appeal and strong moral values.
“There’s support for the movie from white conservative political groups, but a third of the audience is Hispanic. The inspiration, action and Latin America-based story are drawing a diverse audience, not just ethnically, but in age and gender,” said David A. Gross who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
Ticket buyers have been largely female and over half of all ticket sales have come from moviegoers older than 45. The response to the movie has also been positive from critics, receiving a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Chief film critic for Variety, Owen Gleiberman, praised the film as “a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”
With the critical and commercial success of SOUND OF FREEDOM, Hollywood is forced to consider faith-based movies. The cultural impact of JESUS REVOLUTION earlier this year and the current SOUND OF FREEDOM boom reveal the hunger that audiences have for faith-based films.
Movies that reflect Christian values and beliefs can draw large audiences even during the most competitive time of year. Hollywood should be encouraged to create more of these movies because they can generate solid returns.
Movieguide® previously reported on faith-based movies:
One thing’s for certain, however, Christian filmmakers need Christians to support their movies at the box office. And, no Christian in their right mind should be saying, “I don’t have to see JESUS REVOLUTION. It’s already a success at $45 million.”
MOVIEGUIDE® is designed to help Christian filmmakers and moviegoers reach these goals. We even have a five-day filmmaking workshop to help them achieve just that.
So, please support MOVIEGUIDE®, and please go see JESUS REVOLUTION, still in theaters, and other faith-based movies soon to be released, like BIG GEORGE FOREMAN, HIS ONLY SON, LUCKY LOUIE, and many more.
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