“Sound Of Freedom” Director Alejandro Monteverde On QAnon, Critics And Going Global

Alejandro Monteverde should be thrilled, having co-written and directed the sleeper hit of the summer: Sound of Freedom. Eight years in the making, on a budget of $14.5 million, the indie film has racked up than $167 million in domestic ticket sales since its July 4th release. That box office gross puts it on par with franchise offerings like Disney’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and the latest installment of Mission: Impossible.

And yet it’s easy to understand why Monteverde might feel frustrated. Much of the success of his film—a crime thriller based on former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard’s controversial account of his rogue quest to rescue children from sex traffickers—has been attributed to the marketing tactics of Utah distributor Angel Studios and passionate support from right-wing fans, including Steve Bannon and former President Donald Trump.

Jim Caviezel, the actor who plays Ballard, has voiced support for QAnon-fueled conspiracies, including baseless claims that prominent Democrats, Hollywood figures and other “global elites” are involved in a satanic global pedophile ring harvesting the hormone “adenochrome” from abducted children in a quest for eternal youth. (For a fuller explanation of the bizarre theory, click here.) Ballard, meanwhile, recently complained on Instagram about “the godless leftist media” running interference for human traffickers (not to mention posting meh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes that are at odds with almost-perfect audience scores.)

The polarizing reaction has arguably turned Sound of Freedom into a movement as much as a film, with Caviezel and Angel Studios calling on supporters to "pay it forward” by buying free tickets for future viewers.

While Monteverde is clearly pleased by the surprise success of his movie, which was finished in early 2018, bought by Fox and then shelved after it became part of Disney. As Sound of Freedom is set to launch internationally, I sat down with the director to discuss both his intent and the fallout from the movie.

Subscribe to FORBES

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

Stay Connected

Forbes newsletters

Forbes on Facebook

Forbes Video on Twitter

Forbes Video on Instagram

More From Forbes

Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.