In a coincidental turn of events, two of the most talked-about and acclaimed releases of the last week are both Disney cast-offs, which is about the only thing Nimona and Sound of Freedom have in common.
The former rose from the ashes to become one of the best-reviewed animated movies in recent years after being resurrected by Netflix, while the latter has shocked the world by tearing the box office a new one in spite of its troubled origins and wide-ranging controversies.
The Jim Caviezel-fronted thriller shot in the summer of 2018 and was set to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, before the Mouse House cast it aside following the takeover. Half a decade later, though, and Sound of Freedom is currently laughing all the way to the bank and then some.
Even though the “inspired by true events” tag has been scrutinized, questioned, and largely greeted with skepticism from those outside of its target demographic, Sound of Freedom came mighty close to beating Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the box office on July 4.
Not only that, but it’s already earned more from domestic theaters than critical darlings The Banshees of Inisherin, TAR, and Women Talking, while it’s on course to wind up as the single most profitable independent film of 2023.
Sound of Freedom additionally happens to be one of the year’s top-rated titles on Rotten Tomatoes, although you should probably take that critical approval rating of 98 percent and audience average of a perfect 100 percent with a sizeable pinch of salt based on the outside noise being generated by the narrative.