The president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dana White, is offering his employees free tickets to go see “Sound of Freedom,” a film based on true events surrounding efforts to combat human trafficking.
“There’s a new movie out called ‘The Sound of Freedom,’ and it’s about human trafficking,” Mr. White began a Twitter video post on Sunday. “More importantly, it’s about the trafficking of children. This is a disgusting, horrific issue that’s happening all around the world, and it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. What I’m going to do, is I’m going to give any of my UFC employees that want to see this movie free tickets to go see it.”
The UFC president is not only encouraging people to see “Sound of Freedom” but recommending other executives follow his lead and help cover the cost for their employees to see the film.
“I would like to encourage other executives to do the same at their companies,” he said.
The film’s release has also gained the support of actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson. After the UFC president concluded his video message calling for people to see the movie, he played a video message from Mr. Gibson, who said, “One of the most disturbing problems in our world today is human trafficking, and particularly the trafficking of children. Now, the first step in eradicating this crime is awareness. Go see ‘Sound of Freedom.’”
The film is based on the life of Tim Ballard, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security special agent who worked in anti-human trafficking operations. In 2013, Ballard left that career to found Operation Underground Railroad, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to dismantle child trafficking organizations and rescue children from trafficking and exploitation across the globe.
“Sound of Freedom” stars actor Tim Caviezel as Mr. Ballard. A plot summary for the movie states: “After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.”
Film’s Release
“Sound of Freedom” was released on July 4.
According to the box office revenue tracking site Box Office Mojo, was the highest-grossing film that day, grossing $14.24 million. “Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny,” which opened on June 30, was second place at the Independence Day box office with $11.70 million in revenue. The Pixar movie “Elemental,” which was released on June 16, was in third place on Independence Day with a $2.80 million haul.
The success of “Sound of Freedom” has continued in the week since its release. The film, which the Wall Street Journal reported had a budget of about $19.5 million, had grossed about $40 million between Tuesday and Sunday while showing on around 2,800 theaters. By comparison, the new “Indiana Jones” sequel—a film distributed by Disney with an estimated $300 million budget—grossed about $121 million domestically since June 30 while appearing on around 4,600 theaters.
While “Sound of Freedom” has had success in recent days while sharing its message about human trafficking, the film’s release had been delayed for years. “Sound of Freedom” was originally shot in 2018 and was produced at the time by 20th Century Fox. The film was then shelved in 2019 after Disney acquired the 20th Century Fox. Utah-based Angel Studios picked up the release rights for the movie in March after negotiations and a crowdfunding campaign.