Sound Of Freedom producers debunk conspiracy theory, which must have been a nice change of pace
Angel Studios was forced to issue a statement to fans reminding them that not every inconvenience is the product of a shadowy cabal of well-organized evil
The producers of Sound Of Freedom—the new Jim Caviezel-starring child-trafficking movie pulled straight from the headlines that only your most Facebook-addicted uncles read—found themselves in the presumably unfamiliar position of having to debunk a conspiracy theory this week. Specifically, Angel Studios (more on whom in a second, because they fascinate us) co-signed a statement from the CEO of AMC Theaters this week, after the target audience for the film began to accuse the theater chain of conducting elaborate conspiracies against them, as the target audience of Sound Of Freedom is wont to do.
After facing allegations that AMC, in an apparent bid to…not make money?… had disrupted showtimes, canceled screenings, and even deliberately broken its own air conditioners to drive people away from the movie, the chain’s CEO, Adam Aron, issued a statement this week on Twitter. Aron wrote that “Sadly, conspiracy theorists are so prevalent in America. So much garbage information is spread. More than ONE MILLION people have watched Sound Of Freedom at AMC Theatres. More than at any other theatre chain on the planet. Yet people falsely claim otherwise. It is so bizarre.”
Angel Studios issued its own statement in an effort to convince people that, at least in this one particular case, their paranoid instincts about shadowy cabals arrayed against them were not actually correct, writing that “AMC has been an outstanding partner for Angel Studios.” Studio exec Brandon Purdie also tacitly asked fans to not be, y’know, psychopaths, writing that, “We ask that anyone attending a screening of Sound Of Freedom show kindness to their local theater staff.”
Sound Of Freedom—in which Caviezel plays controversial real-world child trafficking activist Tim Ballard (whilst not busy talking about “the empire of adrenochrome” in interviews)—has been an unexpected box office success, spurred on at least in part by Angel Studios’ unorthodox approach to ticket sales. (They have this whole “Pay It Forward” thing where donators can buy tickets in bulk for theaters to distribute to people; it’s a big reason the film keeps popping up so high on the box office charts.) Angel Studios is certainly doing a lot better these days than it did when it used to be Vid Angel, the company you’d send your DVDs to so they could edit all the butts and swears out—and which flamed out after all the major studios got wind of it and embroiled the company in a massive lawsuit. The studio also produces and airs The Chosen, the Biblical crowdfunding success story that recently got picked up for broadcast by The CW.