Pope Francis played a special role in ensuring Sound of Freedom made it to the silver screen, the movie's producer has told Newsweek in an exclusive interview.
The film, about former Homeland Security agent turned anti-child sex trafficking champion Tim Ballard, is the 10th highest grossing in the United States so far this year, surprising everyone with its success. But it sat in limbo for years after filming wrapped in 2018, with producers never knowing if it would see the light of day.
Sound of Freedom producer Eduardo Verástegui began developing the project with writer/director Alejandro Monteverde in 2015. Soon after, Verástegui got to meet Pope Francis and made sure he took his chance to tell him about it.
"I had a private audience with Pope Francis and I told him, 'Holy Father we are about to start this project called the Sound of Freedom movie, it's about raising awareness, which is the first step to eradicate child trafficking,'" Verástegui said.
The producer then asked the pope: "Will you please pray for the people?"
The head of the Catholic Church was apparently happy to oblige, and according to Verástegui said, "This is something very important and it's very close to my heart, and I will pray in a special way for this project."
Little did Verástegui know, he would need all the prayers he could get because Sound of Freedom would face some major roadblocks before its premiere.
Starring Jim Caveziel as Ballard, Sound of Freedom tells the story of how Ballard left the government agency to start Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) and saved hundreds of children from sex trafficking.
Film studio 20th Century owned the distribution rights to the film, but when the company was bought out by Disney in 2019 the House of Mouse told Verástegui that the movie wasn't for them. He spent the next few years wrangling back the rights and eventually partnered with Angel Studios, which distributed the film by crowdfunding $5 million.
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The independent movie astonished Hollywood when it had a massive opening weekend in July and has managed to outperform mega franchises Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Well known in his native Mexico as an actor and producer, Verástegui spoke to Newsweek from Rome, where he had just completed his annual private meeting with Pope Francis.
"I told Pope Francis this morning that, 'After working for eight years, the movie came out on July 4 and became the number one movie in America. Thank you for your prayers,'" Verástegui said. "He was very happy to hear about the success of the film and was very happy to hear that this movie is saving lives already, that it's raising awareness worldwide."
Verástegui also gave Pope Francis his own copy of the film to watch in his native Spanish language, and the pontiff promised to view it.
The movie itself has proved controversial. Its director, Alejandro Monteverde, has previously told Newsweek that it had been subject to relentless attacks from critics following its release.
Monteverde said the film had been "victimized" and "bullied" by mass media and social media users, many of whom had not actually seen it.
Some critics have claimed there are connections between the movie and the QAnon conspiracy theory. The Guardian called Sound of Freedom a "QAnon-adjacent thriller," The Washington Post called it a "box office hit whose star embraces QAnon," while Rolling Stone called it a "superhero movie for dads with brainworms: The QAnon-tinged thriller."
Ballard has dismissed such suggestions as "kind of sick."
"Where's the QAnon doctrine being spewed in the film and in the script? I have no idea because this is actually what it looks like. This is what happened. I was there, and several others were there to confirm so this is just some other agenda," he told Fox & Friends on Fox News.
Pope Francis has previously spoken out about human trafficking. In a video message on February 8, 2023, to mark the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, he said: "Human trafficking disfigures dignity. Exploitation and subjugation limit freedom and turn people into objects to use and discard. And the system of trafficking profits from the injustice and wickedness that oblige millions of people to live in conditions of vulnerability."
