AMC brings back ‘Sound of Freedom’ for limited run—years after movie sparked political firestorm
Topline
AMC Theatres is bringing back “Sound of Freedom” for limited screenings this week, years after the biographical drama about anti-child sex trafficking operations sparked a firestorm of political controversy for its lead actor’s alleged ties to the QAnon conspiracy theory, but ended up one of the year’s biggest box office smashes.
Key Facts
“Sound of Freedom” is getting a small re-release in AMC theaters this week, according to showtimes on the theater chain’s website, though participating theaters appear to only be offering one screening per day through Wednesday.
The movie, based on a former Homeland Security agent’s anti-child sex trafficking pursuits, was championed by right-wing politicians and pundits while slammed by critics who questioned its accuracy and noted lead actor Jim Caviezel had spoken at events linked to QAnon.
AMC was central to some of the initial “Sound of Freedom” controversy, as some supporters of the film spread rumors online that the theater chain was deliberately sabotaging screenings, with some viral posts accusing AMC of shutting off air conditioning or turning down the volume to inaudible levels.
AMC CEO Adam Aron slammed these allegations as a “ridiculous conspiracy theory” in a post on X at the time, and film distributor Angel Studios said the rumors are “not accurate” and that AMC was an “outstanding partner” of the movie.
AMC said in social media posts this week’s screenings are part of the theater chain’s “Voices of Hope” series, during which the theater chain is re-releasing a handful of movies about “purpose and perseverance” throughout March and early April.
Several of the “Voices of Hope” re-releases are faith-based, including the animated “King of Kings” and the drama film “Jesus Revolution.”
Forbes has reached out to AMC for comment.
Why Was “sound Of Freedom” So Controversial?
Caviezel’s starring role in the film was central to the movie’s storm of controversy. The actor has reportedly spoken at multiple events linked to the QAnon conspiracy movement, including a QAnon convention in Oklahoma in 2021, where he promoted some of the movement’s bizarre theories, including claims elites drain the blood of children to harvest the adrenochrome chemical to stay young. Tim Ballard, the former Homeland Security agent who served as the inspiration for the film, also promoted a viral theory in 2020 that Wayfair, a furniture retailer, was selling children online. The movie was also promoted by conspiracy theorists on QAnon message boards, the Washington Post reported. The movie does not explicitly reference QAnon, but some critics, including at Rolling Stone and the Guardian, said the movie appears designed to appeal to conspiracy theorists. Distributor Angel Studios denied the movie has anything to do with conspiracy theories, saying in 2023 the movie is not about politics. The movie also centered on Ballard’s organization, Operation Underground Railroad, which works with law enforcement to lead missions to rescue children from sex traffickers. But the organization was the subject of a Vice investigation in 2020 that claimed OUR exaggerated its role in sex trafficking rescues, citing multiple law enforcement agencies who said their collaborations with OUR were “insubstantial.” The film was championed by conservatives, including President Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who all promoted the movie during its first theatrical run.
Big Number
$250 million. That’s how much “Sound of Freedom” grossed during its initial theatrical run, according to Box Office Mojo. The movie was a surprise hit and ranked as the tenth highest-grossing movie of 2023 in domestic theaters, outgrossing movies with big budgets like “ Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” in the United States. The movie’s financial performance was boosted by a “pay-it-forward” program, through which people could donate money on the Angel Studios website to fund tickets for others. Angel Studios said the pay-it-forward tickets accounted for $26 million of the movie’s overall box office gross.
