Indiana Jones Franchise Buried By Hispanics Turning Out In Big Numbers For Something Else
Though it used to be one of the biggest box office franchises of all time, this new Indiana Jones was unable to hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has received mixed reviews as well as mixed audience interest and reaction. It’s widely considered the weakest entry of the franchise, and going into its second week, the movie’s box office reflects that.
Though it used to be one of the biggest box office franchises of all time, this new Indiana Jones was unable to hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week. Indy lost it to the horror franchise Insidious with its new entry The Red Door.
More telling, however, is that aside from getting trounced at number one, Indy barely managed to hang on to the number two spot against a new movie few have heard of. That movie leaped in and nearly kicked Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny out of the number two spot as well.
That movie is called Sound of Freedom, and if you’ve never heard of it, it’s because the film has received basically no advertising and is getting viewers almost entirely through word of mouth.
Insidious: The Red Door owned the number one spot for the weekend of July 7 – 9 with a solid $32.6 million debut.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny limped into its second weekend and received $26.5 million, for an overall domestic box office total so far of $121 million, on a budget that is, well, a lot higher than that.
In third place, nipping at Indy’s heels (and almost sure to kick it out of the number two spot next week) is Sound of Freedom. Sound of Freedom earned $16.9 million over the weekend, playing in 2,850 theaters.
Of particular note with Sound of Freedom is that the movie is doing exceptionally well with Hispanic audiences. Over 30% of the people who bought a ticket for the Jim Caviezel-led movie were Hispanic, according to data reported by the Hollywood trades.
Sound Of Freedom Is About Tim Ballard Forming An Organization To Rescue Sex-Trafficking Victims
So what is Sound of Freedom anyway? The movie is produced by faith-based Angel Studios, though the film itself isn’t specifically about religion.
Instead, Sound of Freedom is a dramatic thriller based on the real-life story of former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard. Ten years ago, Ballard formed an organization to combat child sex trafficking and has, since then, saved thousands of kids.
Sound Of Freedom Is Getting Positive Reviews From Critics
Ballard’s story sounds incredible, though some reviews seem to think the movie misses the mark by focusing on pushing a message over telling Ballard’s heroic tale. Clearly, audiences, particularly Hispanic audiences, seem to disagree with those reviews.
Overall, Sound of Freedom is receiving positive reviews. It currently has a 76% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s far better than the 37% being handed out to Insidious: The Red Room and the weak 69% earned by Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Tim Ballard Is Being Attacked For Traumatizing Kids While He’s Rescuing Them
Most reviewers and experts seem to agree that, despite being too message-oriented, the story told in Sound of Freedom is mostly accurate. Opponents of the movie have, in large part, focused on criticizing Tim Ballard himself.
For instance, one of the more bizarre claims levied against Ballard (this one from Slate) is that he “traumatized” the children he saved by rescuing them.
Expect those accusations to go nowhere and for Sound of Freedom to continue climbing the box office charts as word of mouth spreads in the coming weeks.
