The Washington Examiner's Sarah Bedford discussed the surprise success of the movie Sound of Freedom on Monday, and how it could potentially "open up the door" for other movies that appeal to a conservative audience.
The film opened on July 4 and made $40 million in its first week in theaters. Bedford stated that Hollywood does not like it when a film that promotes values that resonate with conservatives "is doing so well," adding that the film shows smaller production companies and studios what is possible when they make "good content that caters to the other half of the country."
MARINE CORPS LED BY ACTING COMMANDANT FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 100 YEARS AMID TUBERVILLE HOLDS
"There's a reason why viewership is dropping precipitously for things like the Oscar awards ceremony," said Bedford during an appearance on Fox Business. "It's that a large part of the audiences that the studios claim to cater to don’t actually agree with anything that these Hollywood ideologues are pushing, and this may open up the door in the future for alternative messages to break through in the entertainment industry."
Sound of Freedom is distributed by Angel Studios, and details the true story of how Tim Ballard, a former federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security, quit his job and risked his life to journey into the jungles of Colombia in an effort to save children from sex slavery.
On opening day, Sound of Freedom outgrossed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, generating $14.2 million on July 4. The fifth Indiana Jones installment ended up falling behind Sound of Freedom with roughly $11.7 million.
The movie stars Jim Caviezel, who is perhaps best known for his role in The Passion of the Christ. In reacting to the film’s theatrical release success, Caviezel told the Ingraham Angle that it was never about beating Disney.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“This isn’t about them. It’s not about Angel Studios putting it out. It’s about the children,” Caviezel said. “And Americans waking up right now. And the only way these [child trafficking] laws are going to be changed is if the people move right now to save them."
The film also features Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino from Mighty Aphrodite and Bill Camp from 12 Years a Slave. It was directed by Alejandro Monteverde and produced by Eduardo Verastegui.