In an unexpected turn of events, the action movie Sound of Freedom has stolen the limelight at the Box Office, outperforming the highly-anticipated Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
The compelling narrative of Sound of Freedom, which is based on the real-life experiences of Operation Underground Railroad’s founder, Tim Ballard, appears to have resonated deeply with audiences, making it a dark horse in the summer lineup, Newsweek reports.
Harrison Ford’s final appearance in the fifth Indiana Jones, traditionally seen as a summer blockbuster, was upstaged by this smaller production.
Sound of Freedom centers around the gripping story of Tim Ballard, played by Jim Caviezel, who leaves his position as a Homeland Security special agent to undertake a daunting mission to save children from the grips of cartels and human traffickers in Latin America.
Examining the numbers that played into each movie’s release paints an even more fascinating picture.
The fifth installment of Indiana Jones, being the first in the franchise not written by George Lucas or directed by Steven Spielberg, had a significant budget of roughly $295 million.
In stark contrast, Sound of Freedom, co-written and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, was produced on a mere $14.5 million budget.
This budget is considered modest when compared to the sky-high budgets of regular summer blockbusters, often exceeding $100 million.
Box Office Mojo, a respected movie box office website, confirmed that on July 4, Sound of Freedom outpaced Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, according to Newsweek.
The latter managed to pull in $11,698,989, while Sound of Freedom nearly recouped its entire budget, raking in $14,242,063.
Trailing behind these two films were the animated movies Elemental and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, each bringing in a bit over $2 million.
However, there are additional aspects to take into account when comparing the performances of these two films.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which hit theaters a week earlier on June 30, 2023, has managed to amass more than $154 million internationally as it strives to recoup its hefty investment.
On the other hand, Sound of Freedom premiered on July 4, a day known for being the most profitable due to initial excitement and rush of movie-goers.
