Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 09/08/23

The sleeper summer blockbuster Sound of Freedom reaches a new milestone. After shocking industry experts with its stellar domestic success, the Angel Studios film that dramatically tackles the issue international child sex trafficking has claimed the #1 spot in 18 countries throughout Latin America. The movie has also been piling up impressive box office totals in New Zealand (where it opened at #1), Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. As I reported earlier, Angel Studios has already paid back the movie’s crowdfunding investors $1.20 for every $1.00 they invested into the launch budget.

About the film’s continuing success Angel Studios Chief Distribution Officer Jared Geesey says “The domestic box office performance on Sound of Freedom has been an incredible success story but some industry experts have argued our film would not be able to translate this success overseas. We’re grateful to our fans for proving them wrong and making us the number one movie in Latin America. We’re seeing packed theaters, standing ovations, widespread enthusiasm, and strong word-of-mouth from Buenos Aires to Mexico City to Bogota to Caracas, Lima, and beyond…This film is fast-becoming a global movement for change.””

Written and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, Sound of Freedom is based on the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard who quit his job to rescue a little girl from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. In the process, he and his team were able to save 123 human trafficking victims – 55 of whom were children – from one mission alone.
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Coming Attractions. Here are some upcoming movies you might want to keep an eye out for.

SEPT. 15: A Million Miles Away (Amazon Prime Video)

SEPT.  27: Surprised by Oxford (limited theatrical screenings)

SEPT. 28: The Blind (in theaters)

SEPT. 29: On Fire (in theaters)

OCT. 6: The Burial (in theaters/*OCT. 13 on Amazon Prime Video)

Update: I previously reported that the Hilary Swank film Ordinary Angels would hit theaters on Oct. 13th but with the announcement of the concert film Taylor Swift: Eras Tour opening on the same day Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company swiftly decided to push back its the release date. An official new date announcement will be coming soon. Stay tuned! Until then, here’s a reminder about the story (just ignore the release date at the end).

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.