Sound of Freedom Beats Mission Impossible in Box Office

CV NEWS FEED // “Sound of Freedom” has made its voice heard across the country, beating out summer blockbusters including the heavily-promoted “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.”

″‘Sound of Freedom’ is a summer movie success story that wasn’t even on the radar just a few short weeks ago,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore.

The small-budget film produced by Angel Studios clocked a box office revenue of over $150 million in its first four weeks. The film tells the true story of a man who quit his job to save children from the horrors of trafficking. 

>> WATCH: HOW ‘SOUND OF FREEDOM’ BEAT ‘INDIANA JONES’ <<

“Angel Studios deserves a tremendous amount of credit for designing and executing one of the most unexpected indie box office runs in years,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.

In comparison, Paramount’s “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” made $140 million at the box office, while DC Comics’ “The Flash” made only $100 million domestically. “Sound of Freedom” is closing in on Disney’s “Indiana Jones the Dial of Destiny,” which has so far grossed $167 million in Canada and the United States. 

The film was budgeted at $14.2 million and “saw ticket sales exceed its debut during its second and third weekend in theaters, a rarity in Hollywood. Over the last two weekends, ticket sales drops for the movie have been under 40%,” CNBC reported.

Most blockbuster movies see 50% drops in ticket sales every weekend subsequent to opening, making “Sound of Freedom” remarkable for its longevity and grassroots popularity. This is even more remarkable, as the film had a limited showing across the country. 

The film opened in just 2,600 theaters, but the number increased as its popularity became evident. As of publication, 3,400 cinemas are showing it. “Mission: Impossible” and “Indiana Jones,” in contrast, opened in more than 4,000 locations.

“[It] has become one of the most talked about movies of the summer … [and its] box office revenue has surpassed that of titles with much bigger stars, brands, and budgets,” Dergarabedian noted.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed the film. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-CA, also praised it.