“Sound of Freedom” is not impacted by the current actors strike, says the movie’s star, Jim Caviezel, because the actors union previously wanted nothing to do with the film.
“Those are my brothers and sisters of SAG [Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists],” said Caviezel in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. “I support them, but we are not a part of (the collective bargaining agreement with) AMPTP [Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers]. We wanted to be, but they didn’t want any part of this film.”
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Caviezel thanked the American people and Hannity for supporting “Sound of Freedom,” telling Hannity, “You were one of the first that addressed this with us and really helped get the word out.”
In addition to playing Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ,” Caviezel has starred in the series, “Person of Interest,” as well as the movies “Frequency,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Caviezel’s latest movie, “Sound of Freedom,” released on July 4 and surpassed “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (released on June 30) by taking the No. 1 spot at the box office. Based on a true story, the film depicts former U.S. federal agent Tim Ballard’s fight against human trafficking.
SAG-AFTRA is a union that represents actors and performers. On Friday, July 14, the union initiated a strike, joining the Writers Guild of America in its ongoing strike, and effectively bringing Hollywood production to a halt.
“The Chosen,” the hit series based on the life of Jesus, had to initially pause filming, but was able to resume Monday after being granted a waiver. “The Chosen” and “Sound of Freedom” share the same distributor, Angel Studios.
Even though “Sound of Freedom” wrapped filming approximately five years ago, the rules of SAG-AFTRA’s strike stipulate that actors cannot even promote their shows while the strike is occurring.
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