Sound of Freedom's success hasn't been without some controversy, however. Read on for everything you need to know about the movie, including why it's provoking so much debate and its confirmed UK release date.
Sound of Freedom release date
Sound of Freedom became available to watch exclusively in US cinemas from Tuesday 4th July 2023.
The film was completed in 2018 but is only now getting a release.
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Angel Studios acquired worldwide distribution rights for Sound of Freedom in March 2023.
"Sound of Freedom is a riveting film that shares the story of one man's heroic efforts to rescue children from human trafficking," said Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon at the time.
"Through this powerful cinematic experience, we aim to amplify the growing movement to expose this heinous violation of human rights and inspire people to take action, helping their communities put an end to this modern-day slavery once and for all."
When is the Sound of Freedom UK release date?
Angel Studios has confirmed that Sound of Freedom will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 1st September.
It's part of a global rollout for the film, which will also see it come out in South Africa on 18th August, Australia and New Zealand on 24th August, multiple Central and South American territories on 31st August, and Spain on 11th October.
"Since Sound of Freedom launched in the US, demand has been building around the world in dozens of regions and languages," said Jared Geesey, SVP Global Distribution for Angel Studios. "Child trafficking is a global issue, and we hope to build on the incredible momentum here in the States and share the film's powerful message worldwide.”
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Will Sound of Freedom become available to stream online?
A streaming release date is yet to be announced.
However, the film is likely to come to faith-based streaming platform Angel Studios eventually, and may even show up on another service later down the line.
Sound of Freedom cast: Who stars alongside Jim Caviezel?
Jim Caviezel leads the cast as Tim Ballard, and is joined by Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and Emmy nominee Bill Camp.
The cast of the film is as follows:
- Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard
- Mira Sorvino as Katherine Ballard
- Bill Camp as Vampiro
- Kurt Fuller as Frost
- Gary Basaraba as Earl Buchanan
- José Zúñiga as Roberto
- Gerardo Taracena as El Alacrán
- Scott Haze as Chris
- Eduardo Verástegui as Paul
- Javier Godino as Jorge
- Gustavo Sánchez Parra as El Calacas
What is Sound of Freedom about and is it based on a true story?
Sound of Freedom is billed as a true story following Tim Ballard (Caviezel), a former US government agent and founder of anti-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad.
The film's trailer previously gave viewers a glimpse of Caviezel's Ballard quitting his job and journeying deep into the Colombian jungle, where he risks everything to free captured children.
The movie’s runtime is 131 minutes – or in other words, just over the 2-hour and 10-minute mark.
Sound of Freedom controversy explained
The film has been criticised in some quarters for its depiction of child trafficking, with questions raised over its factual accuracy.
Erin Albright, an attorney who previously worked as a fellow for the Department of Justice's anti-trafficking task force, suggested to Rolling Stone that the film doesn't reflect the reality of the problem and is "grounded in this sensational perspective of what child trafficking would be".
Operation Underground Railroad has also been accused of exaggerating some of its success in breaking up child sexual abuse rings.
A Vice News report alleged that claims about its work have been overstated or without documentary evidence, something Ballard denied in a subsequent interview, calling the report "very incredibly dishonest".
The film has also been championed by supporters of the far-right conspiracy group QAnon.
While the film doesn't contain any elements of QAnon beliefs, its lead actor Jim Caviezel has made previous comments voicing support for some of the fringe group's ideas, including the baseless "adrenochrome" theory that suggests people are harvesting adrenaline from children.
Meanwhile, Angel Studios and Ballard have publicly denied that Sound of Freedom has any association with QAnon, with the studio's CEO Neal Harmon telling The New York Times: "Anybody who watches this film knows that this film is not about conspiracy theories."
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Ballard had stepped away from Operation Underground Railroad ahead of the film's premiere.
Sound of Freedom trailer
Watch below:
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