In the box office competition between Disney/Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and Angels Studios’ “Sound of Freedom,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” emerged as the winner on Tuesday, grossing $11.698 million compared to “Sound of Freedom’s” reported $11.5 million. On Monday, the revised gross for “Dial of Destiny” was $11.7 million, indicating that business remained consistent on July 4th, which is a solid performance for a tentpole film on that holiday. The 5-day total for “Dial of Destiny” stands at $83.7 million.
There were initial reports suggesting that “Sound of Freedom” was giving “Dial of Destiny” a tough competition at the box office on Tuesday. However, until the actual figures are reported, it’s unclear who won on July 4th, as both distributors reported $11.5 million. Rival distributors, based on their calculations, view “Sound of Freedom” as a clear second-place contender with $11 million at 2,634 theaters, while “Indiana Jones” claimed the top spot.
There seems to be an anomaly surrounding “Sound of Freedom,” as it is an independent title with faith-based elements, but it is garnering attention and strong grosses. Some pre-release projections estimated a range of $11 million to $15 million over six days, but the movie exceeded expectations with a solid opening. It received an A+ CinemaScore, which is typical for faith-based films. “Sound of Freedom” utilized a crowdfunding platform called Pay It Forward, which allowed moviegoers to purchase tickets for others. This crowdfunding effort contributed an additional $2.6 million to the movie’s gross, bringing it to $14 million. Crowdfunded presales for the movie reached $10 million before its release.
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There have been reports from theater owners that some screenings of “Sound of Freedom” were allowed as early as Monday. Furthermore, there is speculation that right-wing groups have played a role in boosting the film’s grosses. Actor Jim Caviezel, known for his role in “Passion of the Christ,” appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room show, where viewers were encouraged to support the movie’s opening. It’s rumored that many right-wing groups purchased tickets and distributed them for free, contributing to the movie’s success.
When comparing “Sound of Freedom” to other faith-based or thriller genre films based on true stories, it has outperformed them significantly. Examples such as “Soul Surfer” (2011), which opened with $3.6 million on its first Friday, had a 3-day opening of $10.6 million, and a final gross of $43.8 million; and “Fireproof” (2008), which opened to $6.8 million over three days and grossed over $33 million domestically. “Sound of Freedom” has surpassed these films in terms of box office performance.
On the other hand, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” had a better-than-expected July 4th, only dropping 3% from Monday’s gross of $11.8 million. Its 5-day total now stands at $83.6 million. If the movie follows the second-weekend trajectory of other films that appeal to an older male audience, such as “No Time to Die,” it is projected to earn around $24 million to $25 million in the upcoming weekend. “Indiana Jones” has the advantage of retaining premium large format (PLF) and IMAX screens in its second weekend.
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The upcoming weekend is expectedto be a close call between “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and Sony/Screen Gems/Stage 6 Films/Blumhouse’s “Ins
