people, it’s called ‘QAnon-adjacent.’” Carrick called both character-
izations inaccurate. For those who consider the flick overly Christian, Carrick notes that God is invoked “maybe twice” in the film. “It’s really not a Christian movie,”
he said. “It’s just not a crazy movie. It’s a true story on a topic that we all used to agree on: Selling children into sex trafficking is bad.” He called it “wonderful” to see
the partially crowdfunded indie film having “so much success” since its debut.
While Bud Light’s controversial campaign with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney served as the “light- ning rod” that “exposed the insanity” of the “woke” infiltration of various aspects of daily life, Johnson said consumers have quickly realized they “can have a voice,” and that “voice is through dollars.” “People are finally seeing that they
can have an impact,” he said. “They can make a difference if they go after these corporations.” In the same way that consumers
can inflict major financial damage by boycotting a company or product that doesn’t mesh with their beliefs, they can reward those that do, which has become increasingly evident with the success of Sound of Freedom. “It’s a good Americana story,” John- son said. “People like this. They don’t
“It’s been a perfect storm. What kicked off with the Dylan Mulvaney beer cans, all of a sudden people realized our dollars do speak, very loudly. This could set up something very special for films.” — James Carrick
want to be told what to think.” He added: “They don’t want to go
to the movies and feel like they are being indoctrinated. It has been going on far too long, and people are sick and tired of everything having to be politically correct.” Johnson predicts that the backlash
to the left’s overreaching is a trend that has staying power. “Americans are tired of indoctrina-
tion,” he said. “Films that go against Hollywood indoctrination, ‘wokeism,’ and political correctness — they are taking off.” Brandon Purdie, vice president and
head of theatrical distribution at Angel Studios, chalked up the fanfare sur- rounding the movie to the fact that people “want to see an end to child sex trafficking.” He told Newsmax’s Wake Up Amer-
ica that Sound of Freedom is a “great movie that stands on its own.” He called headlines linking the
movie to conspiracy theories “out of touch.” “It’s a movie that’s meant to raise
consciousness and awareness,” Purdie said. “People that care about children care about this movie.” So far, the media’s attempts to dis-
credit the film clearly aren’t having an impact on viewers. The film got a boost when former
President Donald Trump scheduled a screening at his golf club in Bedmin- ster, New Jersey, in late July.
VERÁSTEGUI
The film’s Mexican producer, Eduardo Verá- stegui, who served on Trump’s advisory com- mission on Hispanic
prosperity, joined the former president at the screening along with Ballard and Caviezel. Carrick points out that the success
of Sound of Freedom stands out against a backdrop of “woke” films struggling to meet their financial goals. It’s also shin- ing amid a strike by writers and actors. “It’s been a perfect storm,” he said.
“What kicked off with the Dylan Mul- vaney beer cans, all of a sudden people realized our dollars do speak, very loud- ly. This could set up something very special for films.” Ultimately, Carrick said he hopes the
support for Sound of Freedom and the disinterest in “woke” flicks will “lead in a direction where movies are just enter- taining and thoughtful again, rather than the thinly veiled activism with an even thinner narrative wrapped around them.” If the movie industry doesn’t change
PRAISE Donald Trump congratulated former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard, on whose life the movie is based, and lead actor James Caviezel after a screening at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
its decision-making, he said the mar- ket is certainly “in a place where it will push those people out” and movie studios that are “delivering what audi- ences in general want to see will start taking off.”
SEPTEMBER 2023 | NEWSMAX 47
©JASON MILLER/TRUMP CAMPAIGN / VERÁSTEGUI/JAIME NOGALES/MEDIOS Y MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
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