The studio behind the box office hit Sound of Freedom is pushing back against rumors that AMC is thwarting the film, saying in a Thursday statement that AMC is an “outstanding partner” that is working to promote the film.
The allegations against AMC have floated around Twitter and other social media sites for several days. One tweet that tallied 2.2 million views claimed that an AMC theater turned the volume down on the film.
My experience with The Sound Of Freedom at the AMC theatre was horrendous. I have reasons to believe that theaters are making the viewing experience uncomfortable and underwhelming on purpose. In my own personal experience the volume of the movie was turned all the way down to…
— David Niño Rodriguez (@ninoboxer) July 9, 2023
In another tweet that totaled 5.5 million views, a woman claimed that an AMC theater was doing something "sketchy" after it refunded her tickets without a reason. The woman and her friends still went to the theater and were informed that their tickets were refunded because the air conditioning was broken in the theater rooms. The woman claimed this was sketchy because there was working AC in the hallways and common areas of the theater.
AMC refunded an entire theater of tickets to Sound of Freedom due to lack of AC.
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) July 8, 2023
This lady showed up an anyway and wants answers.
"There was air conditioning in the lobby, in the hallway, in the bathrooms. Not the theaters? I smell something stinky."pic.twitter.com/tvFGIIaDJX
But Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution for Angel Studios, said Thursday that the rumors about AMC are false. Angel released the film.
“We understand there are rumors – predominantly in social media – that AMC theaters have made it difficult for fans to see Sound of Freedom in local AMC theaters, and we want to make it clear these rumors are not accurate,” Purdie said in a statement. “AMC has been an outstanding partner for Angel Studios, and in fact, as a result of the movie’s performance and consumer demand, AMC has agreed to add additional screens for Sound of Freedom this weekend.”
Purdie added, “Angel Studios and the producers of Sound of Freedom are asking our fans to support AMC, and all of our other theatrical partners.”
He also encouraged fans of the film to treat theater workers with respect.
“Summer is the busiest season for people working in theaters, so we ask that anyone attending a screening of Sound of Freedom show kindness to their local theater staff,” Purdie said. “We have the best movie fans in the business. Let’s continue to show theaters the love that Angel supporters are known for.”
An Angel news release labeled AMC a “key advocate.”
Neal Harmon, the CEO of Angel, personally responded to one of the rumors on Twitter.
“Stuff happens,” Harmon tweeted. “Bulbs break, air conditioning stops working, and volume levels get set wrong, but these are exceptions in over 500 theaters with thousands of screens. Kindly ask them to adjust the volume, be patient with issues, and thank hard-working theater staff.”
As Co-founder and CEO of Angel Studios, I thank you for supporting #SoundofFreedom
— Neal Harmon (@nealsharmon) July 10, 2023
I also want you to know that @AMCTheatres has been a leading partner for us in getting this to market and we couldn’t have done it without them.
Stuff happens. Bulbs break, air conditioning…
The PG-13, faith-centric film tells the true story of a government agent, Tim Ballard, who quit his job at the Department of Homeland Security so he could dedicate his life to rescuing children in other countries from sex trafficking. Jim Caviezel portrays Ballard.
Sound of Freedom was the No. 1 movie in America Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, it passed $50 million in total gross.
Related:
4 Things You Should Know about Sound of Freedom
‘Sound of Freedom’ to Expand after Stunning Success: ‘It's Been a Surprise to Hollywood’
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Xiu Huo
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
