Why 'Sound of Freedom' is a huge hit with Hispanic audiences (2024)

Sound of Freedom has proved to be this summer's surprise resounding hit—and Hispanic audiences have been reported as major contributors to the movie's success.

Released on the Fourth of July, the intense thriller is based on the life of former Homeland Security special agent Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel). It follows Ballard as he sets up Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an anti-child-trafficking organization. He also embarks on a mission to rescue two Honduran children sold into sex slavery in Colombia.

On its first day of release, the movie enjoyed a strong showing, beating Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the U.S. box office. Sound of Freedom earned $14,242,063 on its first day in theaters, while the Indiana Jones flick made $11,698,989 domestically.

Distributed by Angel Studios, Sound of Freedom is the first post-pandemic independent movie to pass the $100 million milestone domestically. Against a relatively modest budget of $14.5 million, it has already made more than $163.4 million at the box office, placing it in 11th place of top-grossing movies of 2023, per Box Office Mojo. Remarkably, the film has achieved this ahead of its recently announced release outside of North America.

In July, Deadline reported that Hispanic audiences made up 30 percent of the audience that went to see Sound of Freedom. This stands in comparison to 57 percent Caucasian, 5 percent Black, and 9 percent Asian/other.

As for why Hispanic audiences turned out in huge numbers to support the film, Alejandro Monteverde, who directed and co-wrote Sound of Freedom, told Newsweek that the storyline speaks to specific values.

"I believe it has resonated with a large Hispanic audience for many of the same reasons it has resonated with others: because it represents a collective sense of humanity and justice that transcends cultural and national boundaries," said Monteverde. "But Hispanic countries and people, in particular, are all too familiar the abuses of organized crime and there is a natural sense among us to protect our own, especially our children."

'Hispanic Values'

David A. Gross, who runs movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, told Newsweek that Monteverde and lead producer Eduardo Verástegui being natives of Mexico may have had some influence on audiences, as well as the setting.

"The story of a man fighting child trafficking in Latin America, and the Christian point of view, resonate with Hispanic values," Gross explained of the film, which has been endorsed by prominent Republicans Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, among others.

Ahead of Sound of Freedom's release, an extended trailer emphasized the film's faith-based premise, with star Caviezel urging viewers to pre-order tickets so they "can send the message that God's children are no longer for sale," echoing a line from the film.

The political leanings assigned to the film have also been a talking point. Ballard served on an anti-trafficking White House advisory council during Trump's presidency, between late 2019 and 2020.

During an appearance on Fox News' Fox & Friends on July 20, Caviezel also singled out Trump as a "Moses"-type force in ending child trafficking.

"We have to do a lot more. We got to start with Donald Trump," said the actor, who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's hugely successful 2004 biblical epic The Passion of the Christ. "He's got to be in there because he's going to go after the traffickers."

"This is the new Moses," Caviezel added of the 2024 presidential hopeful. "I mean, I'm still Jesus, but he's the new Moses. Pharaoh, let my children go free."

Amid the film's continued success, it has been accused of pandering to supporters of QAnon. The radical conspiracy theory group previously asserted that Trump would expose a secret cabal of high-profile satanic child abusers as president, and then order their arrest and executions.

Both Caviezel and Ballard have dismissed accusations that Sound of Freedom is trying to appeal to QAnon supporters.

Gross told Newsweek that such politics would not resonate with the majority of Hispanic voters in the U.S. "The right-wing, MAGA [Make America Great Again] politics are not generally consistent with Hispanic political views—in the U.S., [most] Hispanics tend to vote left—but the story and inspiration are bigger than the politics," he said.

'Over-Index at the Box Office'

According to Gross, the film's popularity with Hispanic audiences may also boil down to regular overrepresentation at movie theaters across the U.S.

"In general, Hispanic moviegoers over-index at the box office compared with their population," he told Newsweek as he cited figures from the Motion Picture Association. "In the U.S., approximately 19.1 percent of the population is Hispanic, but in 2021 they represented 28 percent of the box office for the 'top films.'"

Of wider appeal are Sound of Freedom's faith-based premise, said Gross, who explained: "This is a fascinating story. The movie is a smash in the U.S. In general, the faith-based audience is underserved. The film has become a zeitgeist movie—audiences are bonding over the conspiracies they believe are darkening their lives, and how one white Christian man can fight back."

The partially crowdfunded movie has also seen sales boosted through unconventional promotional efforts that have also included use of an app called Pay It Forward, with which patrons can donate tickets to others.

However, said Gross, "no one has been able to quantify that, and there are questions about how many of those tickets were actually used. But as long as the tickets were bought, they count."

Cross-Demographic Appeal

Meanwhile, Monteverde told Newsweek that the movie's depiction of a fight against such heinous crimes has a cross-demographic appeal that has aided its success.

"I believe the audience connects deeply with the fight against this horrific crime and appreciate the authenticity and bravery of the storytelling," he said. "Additionally, Jim Caviezel's powerful performance, the cinematography, and the storytelling skill brought the narrative to life, [have contributed] to the film's overall success."

With the film portraying an American man swooping in to save Central American children held captive in South America, Monteverde explained that there was a fine line to tread in avoiding depictions that could feed xenophobia.

"We made every effort to portray the countries featured in Sound of Freedom in a respectful and accurate manner, working closely with local experts and cultural advisors," he said. "However, it's crucial to remember that this movie focuses on the issue of child trafficking—a global problem that has no borders.

"The objective was not to critique particular countries but to spotlight the heroes fighting this crime and the plight of the victims who endure it."

It has been a long road to success for Sound of Freedom, which was shot in 2018 and was due to have been distributed by the Latin American subsidiary of 20th Century Fox. The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the studio saw the film shelved.

After the filmmakers bought back the distribution rights, producer Verástegui approached Utah-based Angel Studios, which used equity crowdfunding to raise the required cash to finally get the movie before audiences.

The Wall Street Journal reported that 7,000 people invested between $10 and $25,000 to hit their target of $5 million within two weeks. Those who invested stand to gain up to 20 percent in profit for believing and investing in Sound of Freedom.

Asked by Newsweek if there was a fear Sound of Freedom would never see the light of day, Monteverde responded: "Yes, of course. It was heartbreaking to have put many years of work into a film that somehow ended up on the shelf. But that makes its current success even more amazing. I never imagined the movie would become the phenomenon it has become."