Watch 'Sound of Freedom' -- A Film It Seems Some Didn't Want Released
Completed in 2018, it was acquired by Disney and shelved -- until now
The new film Sound of Freedom, which opens in theaters July 4th, has had a tough time getting to this point. And that’s something of a mystery — indeed a mystery worth examining, because it looks to be a very good film.
The story, about American heroes rescuing kidnapped kids, is not only wonderful but based on actual events. And critics seem to think it’s a story well-told, currently giving the film a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score (audiences rate it even higher, at 99%). Even the trailer looks fantastic. Have a look at it yourself:
For contrast, think of all the second-rate and third-rate movies that have come out over the last several years. Wouldn’t you rather have seen this film instead? You should have been able to — Sound of Freedom was completed in 2018. But its release was inexplicably held up.
And this is where its backstory gets interesting.
Intially, 21st Century Fox was going to distribute it. But in 2019, the company was acquired by Disney, which shelved the film.
However, those involved with Sound of Freedom really believed in it, and after years of effort, the film’s producer, Eduardo Verástegui, finally managed to liberate it with the help of investors. As lead actor Jim Caviezel explained “At one point we lost all of our money because Fox got bought out by Disney. So Disney is holding the purse strings here. We lose the film. Eddie goes out and gets us $5 million bucks and saves the movie.”
So then it was released into the theaters? No. Hollywood distributors wouldn’t touch it. “When asked if the movie faced resistance from distributors, Verástegui answered, ‘Many of them passed. And they passed because… It’s very sad what I’m going to tell you, but that’s what happened and that’s what’s true. They saw the movie, ‘Wow! What a great movie. But, you know what, this is not a business for us.’” Even the streaming services Netflix and Amazon declined to carry it.
Lead actor Jim Caviezel put it bluntly: “You weren’t supposed to see this. This is a movie they do not want you to see.”
It does seem that way. And more, it feels like the reluctance to distribute it was something other than a financial decision. Again, think of all the second-rate and third-rate movies that have come out over the last several years, many of which lost money. Those films were worthy of release but not this one?
Happily, in March 2023, Sound of Freedom was picked up by the Christian film distributor Angel Studios, which announced it would debut the film on July 4th, 2023.
No one knows — or at least no one will say on record — the why of what delayed this film’s release. One could speculate that the theme of white male heroes rescuing kids didn’t sit well with studio execs, who have an increasingly aggressive DEI agenda. Or if you wanted to take a more conspiratorial guess you could say it has something to do with Hollywood being a cesspool of predation and not wanting this theme top of mind, particularly in light of the Epstein Island revelations.
But, either way, reluctance to carry the film doesn’t seem to have been a financial issue. Even with the limited advertising the relatively small Angel Studios has managed, the trailer has already been viewed 1.9 million times, so people are interested. I would guess it’s going to make a ton of money. Angel Studios reports that as of today it already has $10 million in pre-sales, and Elon Musk is personally promoting it on Twitter.
I intend to see Sound of Freedom, not only for its story, but to thumb my nose at the people who didn’t want me to be able to see it, and to support those who made it possible. I hope you will too.
But one thought haunts me: if this film — with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score — couldn’t get released without an heroic and relentless effort on the part of its creators, how many other films of equal caliber are languishing on a shelf somewhere?
Sound of Freedom Reviews
“Beautifully shot and expertly crafted, there's plenty of excitement and tension, though the effort to get across a story and a message gives it an edge of docudrama.”
—Michael Medvid
“Powerful performances highlight this stunning exposé on child trafficking.”
—Epoch Times
An old saw goes: "The problem with film as an art is that it's a business; the problem with film as a business is that it's an art." The problem with film as a Hollywood product is that Hollywood is a woke moron.