Sound of Freedom Trivia | 70 facts about the suprise hit film

“Sound of Freedom” is an action film that made headlines due to its far-right leanings and messages.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.

1. Sound of Freedom is a 2023 American action film
2. It is directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde
3. In the film stars Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp
4. Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, a former government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia
5. It is produced by Eduardo Verástegui
6. He also plays a role in the film
7. The plot centers around Ballard’s Operation Underground Railroad
8. Though some commentators have questioned its accuracy
9. The film was released on July 4, 2023, by Angel Studios
10. It has grossed $58 million worldwide against a $14.5 million budget
11. It has received mixed reviews from critics
12. ound of Freedom was inspired by the work of Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, or O.U.R.,an anti-trafficking activist. Work on the script began in 2015
13. Ballard had personally requested that Jim Caviezel portray him because he was affected by Caviezel’s role in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
14. Caviezel has stated that he considers Sound of Freedom the second most important film he has ever appeared in
15. Ranking it behind only his starring role as Jesus Christ in The Passion of the Christ (2004)
16. The film’s score is composed by Javier Navarrete
17. Principal photography began in the summer of 2018
18. The majority of the film was shot in Cartagena, Colombia
19. Additional scenes were shot in Calexico, California
20. The film was completed in 2018 and a distribution deal was made with 20th Century Fox
21. However, that studio was purchased by the Walt Disney Company, which shelved the film
22. After Disney acquired Fox, the filmmakers bought the distribution rights back from the studio
23. Verástegui approached Angel Studios with the release rights
24. Angel presented the film to an online group of 100,000 investors in its past projects called the Angel Guild, which gave it a “yes” vote within days
25. In 2023, Angel Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights, with a planned release during the second half of 2023
26. In May of the same year, it received a release date of July 4, 2023
27. Angel used equity crowdfunding to raise the funds needed to distribute and market the film. 7,000 people invested, allowing Angel to meet its $5 million goal in two weeks
28. They also encouraged patrons to “pay it forward” to allow people who might not otherwise see the movie to watch it in theaters for free
29. Actor and director Mel Gibson publicly endorsed the movie
30. A special screening of the film hosted by former president Donald Trump at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster is scheduled to occur during the third week of July 2023
31. Caviezel, Ballard, and Verástegui are expected to appear during the screening
32. Prior to its release, Deadline Hollywood reported that the film had sold $10 million in ticket pre-sales at 2,626 theaters
33. Originally, the film was projected to gross $11 – 15 million over its first week of release
34. With some estimates reaching $20 million
35. The film grossed $14.2 million on its first day of release, $3.6 million on its second, and $3.5 million on its third, for a Tuesday -Thursday total of $21.3 million
36. Raising six-day estimates to $36 million
37. It went on to make $18.2 million in its opening weekend
38. With a six day total of $40.2 million
39. Finishing third at the box office
40. The film’s success surprised many industry experts, especially considering it was only released in 2,850 theaters
41. Considerably fewer than Insidious: The Red Door (3,188 theaters) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (4,600 theaters)
42. In its opening week, rumors and videos on social media arose that claimed AMC Theatres was cancelling screenings and disrupting viewing by inventing technical difficulties and disabling air conditioning
43. Angel Studios’ head of theatrical distribution Brandon Purdie said “these rumors are not accurate”
44. And stated that due to the positive reception and consumer demand
45. AMC had added 450 additional theaters on July 14
46. As of July 14, 2023 the film has grossed $58.5 million
47. The 21st highest-grossing film of 2023 in the United States and Canada
48. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 74%
49. Based on 35 reviews
50. With an average rating of 6.7/10
51. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Sound of Freedom is an effective and suspenseful call to action against human trafficking, yet not free of issues in its depiction of the sensitive subject matter”
52. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100
53. Based on six critics
54. Indicating “mixed or average reviews”
55. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an “A+” grade
56. The film was inspired by the life of Tim Ballard, who left the Department of Homeland Security around 2013 and founded Operation Underground Railroad to work with local police in other countries to catch child sex traffickers
57. The film’s central plot point, that of a brother and sister lured to a photo shoot in Honduras, is not an event that Ballard has claimed actually happened
58. According to American Crime Journal reporters, Ballard embellished some details about the story told in the film
59. Ballard stated that, “Some things are definitely overreported”
60. He did not go into the jungle by himself to rescue a little girl nor did he kill a man to rescue the child
61. According to Ballard, the island rescue Operation Triple Take involved both minors and adults, while the film portrays all victims as children
62. Ballard stated that his team not only rescued 54 minors, but 123 individuals at two additional locations
63. Critics of the film have accused the filmmakers of embellishing the reality of child exploitation and stoking QAnon conspiracy theories
64. Both Ballard and star Caviezel have been public about their belief in several conspiracy theories of the QAnon movement
65. Caviezel spoke at two QAnon conventions in 2021, endorsing the spurious belief that child traffickers drain children’s blood to obtain adrenochrome
66. At one of those events, Caviezel mentioned that Ballard was supposed to appear at the conference but was “saving victims of trafficking” who were victims of “adrenochroming”, a fictional practice whose existence is alleged by QAnon adherents
67. Caviezel suggested he had seen evidence of children being subjected to the practice
68. Caviezel reiterated his belief in the adrenochrome conspiracy theory during the press tour for Sound of Freedom
69. Ballard has criticized those drawing a connection between the film and QAnon, saying “They make zero connection to the actual story. It’s very difficult to make that connection when it’s actually based on a true story”
70. Multiple writers have pointed out that the film does not directly mention any QAnon conspiracy theories