Authored by T.J. Muscaro via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Angel Studios’ anti-people trafficking movie, “Sound of Freedom,” has earned nearly seven times its original budget after only two weeks at the box office.
Shedding a light on a dark, shadowy world—especially child sex trafficking—the film’s commercial success comes years after its production, surviving a corporate merger, the COVID-19 pandemic, and reports of several screenings gone awry.
The picture owes a lot to two men who wanted everyone to see it—the producer and co-star Eduardo Verastagui and president of Goya Foods, Bob Unanue.
Opening on July 4, “Sound of Freedom” just surpassed $100 million at the box office, $85 million of which came from domestic theaters. It was made on a $14.5 million budget.
Starring Jim Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) as former Homeland Security Agent and Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard, the movie is a call-to-action that tells the true story of how hundreds of people were rescued from human trafficking.
It saw an increase of more than 30 percent in audience attendance in its second week, and more than 10,000 verified audience members have contributed to its 100 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It also continues to compete with mainstream movies with much lighter and more entertainment-focused subject matters and much higher budgets.
But this successful movie might not have ever seen the inside of a theater without the help of food giant Goya Foods.
“Sound of Freedom” had originally been ordered by 20th Century Fox with Mr. Verastagui already on as its producer and supporting role.
But the movie became one of the many Fox projects shelved after the merger with The Walt Disney Company.
“We helped him buy [“Sound of Freedom”] from Disney [and] became executive producers on that,” Mr. Unanue told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. “It just so happened that several years later trying to get it distributed that Angel Studios appeared on the scene.”
Goya did not disclose the amount of money it contributed to the project.
The film was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite Disney releasing the rights, that theater-closing event would require its producers to wait a little bit longer.
Angel Studios acquired the distribution rights in 2023. He said Angel Studios was “a godsend” in turning around the movie for theatrical release in “just a few months.” Now, he said, they are in talks with Mel Gibson to do a series on human trafficking.
Caring About Victims
Tied to the completion and distribution of “Sound of Freedom” is the creation of Goya Cares, Mr. Unanue’s own program, which provides support to several nonprofits fighting child and human trafficking.
Working primarily on the homefront, it supports several charities already entrenched in the fight to end trafficking and provide safe houses for victims, such as Catholic Charities and the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC).
It also works with the Monique Burr Foundation to provide lesson plans and educational awareness in schools.
“At the center of Goya Cares is a heart, and our heart reaches out to these victims of child trafficking and children who are suffering from mental illness so that they may have hope to live in a world where their life is valued, their freedom is a reality and their mind is at peace,” Mr. Unanue’s mission statement for the program states.
“They need to be reminded that they are precious gifts from God.”
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What greater cause is there for any man then to defend infancy and innocence to his last breath !
You can never truly measure how tall a man is until he bends down to help and protect a child in need !
Start at home.
It’s interesting that you would support Amazon. Of all places. They would legalize human trafficking.
I have not purchased from Amazon in over a year and now i am not buying at Walmart. If we don’t stand up for this country because we save a few bucks then i feel sorry for those that do not.
The comedian Louis CK of all people did a great rap on how we wreck little towns by saving a few bucks going to Walmart instead of mom ‘n’ pop Main Street.
“I can spend 13 cents less on my mop . . . so, fuck my neighbor!”
~ Louis CK.
Don’t foeget the Carlon Slim family helped too.
Ballard in his own words..
John Paul DeJoria and Carlos Slim were large investors for his film, Sound of Freedom.
Who remembers this video of a mexican lady complaining outside a building and saying she saw the people inside eating human flesh…..
Well she was talking about Carlos Slim Domit, one of Carlos Slim’s sons.
John Paul signed Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s “The Giving Pledge”: Close friend’s isn’t that nice.
John Paul Dejoria (of Paul Mitchell Hair & Patron tequila) – buddy ol’ pals with Eduardo Verástegui, actor in Sound of Freedom.
Michaeline Dejoria, the daughter of John Paul Dejoria who was a financer of the Sound of Freedom, is on the Board of Directors of the Baby2Baby Foundation.
I see very little Goya products in No Carolina, BUT IN CT I BOUGHT THEM WHENEVER I COULD.
Goya makes excellent canned enchilada sauce.
I am a serious Catholic, but I would hesitate to involve “Catholic” Charities in anything. They are hard leftists and most their money comes from the gov’t.
At least that is true here in the U.S. Maybe a touch different elsewhere, but I’d still watch them very closely.
Catholic Charities are charitable to illegal aliens (and the Vatican).
Some people have written that this movie is a push to get parents to chip their kids. Before you start DV’s, I’m just the messenger. Thoughts?
Trump doesn’t support trafficking until they are 18. Research Trump Model Management, most of whom never were models but instead would work hard on their backs. The pirate class is sickening.
GOOD for Goya!! Robert Unanue because of his heritage has a unique understanding on what is happening in America, including the child slave trade.