Crowd-funded features are generally passion projects that don’t end up breaking the bank, so at a cost of $18 million, Sound of Freedom was already something of an anomaly.
Of course, that came before the thriller left sitting on the shelf for five years after being dropped by Disney went on an absolute tear at the box office, with its domestic earnings having passed $170 million at the weekend. Sure, there’s been some controversies along the way, but you can’t argue with those cavernous profit margins.
As a result, Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon revealed in a statement that not only are a whopping 6678 investors in the project going to be repaid, but they’ll also be rewarded with a 20 percent bonus for every dollar they contributed after the film defied all expectations in terms of ticket sales.
“6,678 Angel Guild members have now received $1.20 for every $1 they invested into the launch budget for Sound of Freedom, and we are thrilled to be able to get funds back to them in three months. The Angel Guild is key to our theatrical strategy and paying out as quickly as possible is always our first priority.”
Naturally, you’ve got to wonder if the person who gave money to the anti-trafficking movie that was then subsequently arrested and charged for child kidnapping will be among the number getting reimbursed for their efforts in helping craft the biggest commercial sensation of 2023, but it would admittedly suit Sound of Freedom‘s ongoing habit of ruffling feathers at every turn.