'Sound of Freedom' beats Taylor Swift 'Eras Tour' for No. 10 film

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, January 03, 2024

The faith-based film and surprise hit “Sound of Freedom” edged out the much-anticipated “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” to secure a spot in the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2023, a year where multiple faith-oriented films caught on with moviegoers.

According to data from the Internet Movie Database’s Box Office Mojo, “Sound of Freedom” has the 10th highest domestic box office sales of 2023, grossing $184,178,046 in the nearly six months following its July 4 release in up to 3,411 United States movie theaters. The sales amassed from “Sound of Freedom” tickets exceed the box office receipts for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” which has brought in $179,650,565 after about two-and-a-half months of playing at up to 3,855 theaters nationwide.

Another highly anticipated movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” sits behind both “Sound of Freedom” and “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in ticket sales. The fifth installment in the “Indiana Jones” series has sold $174,480,468 after playing at up to 4,600 theaters since June 30, making it the 12th highest-grossing film of 2023 in the U.S.

“Sound of Freedom” tells the story of former government agent Tim Ballard, who quit his job to rescue a child from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. He ended up rescuing more than 123 individuals, including 55 children, from the modern form of slavery. Distributed by Angel Studios, a trailer for the film features lead actor Jim Caviezel of “Passion of the Christ” fame, declaring, “God’s children are not for sale.”

The impact of “Sound of Freedom” has extended into the international political sphere as well. Eduardo Verastegui, who starred in and produced the film, announced he was running for the president of Mexico in this year’s presidential election last summer. His presidential platform is based on “God, Fatherland and Family” and places a particular emphasis on advancing the effort to “put an end to child trafficking.”

Along with surpassing “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in box office sales, “Sound of Freedom” also received a warmer reception from the American public. Rotten Tomatoes gives “Sound of Freedom” an audience score of 99% based on more than 10,000 ratings submitted by moviegoers, coming in slightly ahead of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” at 98% and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” at 88%.

Besides “Sound of Freedom,” several other faith-based movies hit theaters and streaming services in 2023. In February, “Jesus Revolution,” starring Kelsey Grammer, first premiered on screens across the U.S. The film, which stars Kelsey Grammer and portrays the spiritual revival that engulfed Southern California in the late 1960s and '70s, has earned $52,102,987 at the box office after having appeared in a maximum of 2,575 theaters and has an audience score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The Blind,” which is based on the most turbulent years of “Duck Dynasty” stars Phil and Kay Robertson’s marriage and tells the story of the Robertson family patriarch’s conversion to Christianity following a life of hedonism, premiered in theaters in September. The film, which was available for viewing at up to 1,715 theaters, has earned $17,265,487 domestically. Its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at 98%.

Another Angel Studios film, the documentary “After Death,” highlighted people’s experiences of getting revived after dying. Released in October, “After Death” has sold $11,476,750 in domestic ticket sales after appearing at up to 2,730 theaters. It has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 87%.

“Journey to Bethlehem,” which offers a highly fictionalized account of the birth of Jesus Christ, has sold $6,821,214 in tickets since hitting theaters in November. The film, which features notable stars in Hollywood and the music industry, including Antonio Banderas and Lecrae, has appeared in as many as 2,002 theaters. Its current Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 94%.

The documentary “Come Out in Jesus Name,” which profiles controversial deliverance ministries, was first released in March. With up to 1,057 theaters showing the film over the past nine and a half months, it has raked in $2,500,574 at the domestic box office. The movie’s Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 95%.

Although it did not appear in theaters, “Divine Influencer” also emerged as a popular faith-based film last year. “Divine Influencer,” which became the top film on the Great American Pure Flix streaming service upon premiering, stars Lara Silva of the TV series “The Chosen” as an influencer who ends up losing all of her money and comes to see the value in living a life in service to others.

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com