If you only have a few seconds, read these lines:
- On Factchequeado’s WhatsApp we received a screenshot that claims that the movie “Sounds of Freedom” was “rejected” by Disney and that, because of this, it was “paralyzed” for 5 years. This statement is attributed to the film’s producer Eduardo Verástegui.
- Verástegui, in a YouTube video, said that Disney was “not interested” in the film, and that he also tried unsuccessfully to persuade Netflix and Amazon to agree to its distribution.
- Disney told Factchequeado media that, before acquiring Fox – which originally had the rights to the production, – there was an agreement for the distribution of the film only in Latin America, and that later the director of “Sound of Freedom” bought the rights. They did not refer to the fact as a “rejection.”
On Factchequeado’s WhatsApp (+1-646-873-6087) we received a screenshot with a photo showing U.S. actor Mel Gibson and Mexican producer Eduardo Verástegui, accompanied by a text that assures that the “Sound of Freedom” movie was “rejected” by Disney after Disney “bought [sic] and acquired the rights from 21th Century of Fox [sic].”
The text accompanying the image sent to us says that Disney’s alleged rejection caused the film to be “paralyzed” for five years, since its filming ended in 2018, but its presentation was only achieved in 2023. In addition, it says that Netflix and Amazon decided “not to support” the production. These assertions are attributed to Verástegui, one of the producers of Sound of Freedom.
Here we explain what we know
According to its synopsis, “Sound of Freedom” tells the “true story” of Tim Ballard, a former U.S. government agent who took justice into his own hands “on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex trafficking rings” in Colombia.
What Verástegui said about the Disney deal
On the YouTube channel @AnimandoTuMisa, where Verástegui has posted several comments related to the film, the producer said, on July 13, 2023, “we had a contract with Fox, and that contract went to Disney. And those at Disney told me that the film was not for them…they simply weren’t interested, they didn’t see any potential in it…it wasn’t for them…but I had to buy back the rights (…) then COVID hit, the plandemia, the PLAN-demia [sic.]” (see here at minute 3:15). It refers to the conspiracy theory that claims that the pandemic was not a reality, but a set-up. This been disproven by verifiers in different parts of the world (here and here).
In the same video, Verástegui says: “We thought about Netflix, but the friends we had many of them knew the CEO of Netflix, and apparently they sent him several invitations to see the film and he didn’t answer once… Then we also knocked on doors at Amazon and other places, and nothing.” added Verástegui (see minute 4:00).
What Disney says about the distribution of ‘Sounds of Freedom’
In June 2018, The Walt Disney Company agreed to purchase 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion. In this way, Disney had rights over recognized audiovisual productions such as Avatar, X-Men, Titanic, The Simpsons, among others. A year later, in 2019, the company launched its streaming service Disney+, where content that once belonged to Fox are are screened.
Factchequeado consulted a Disney spokesperson via email, who said that “prior to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, an international division of Fox made an agreement for the distribution of ‘Sounds of Freedom’ in Latin America only.” In the same way, the company pointed out that after the acquisition, the filmmaker of the “Sound of Freedom” movie bought the rights. In the communication, they did not refer to the agreement as a “rejection.”
Likewise, Factchequeado contacted Amazon and Netflix via email to inquire about the situation. However, as of the day this article was published, there has been no response.
Since the release of the film “Sound of Freedom” we have seen a dramatic increase in disinformation linked to child trafficking, some driven by followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory, including the film’s star, Jim Caviezel.
In this Factchequeado article, we also explain how to understand the figures and data on child trafficking, about the film and some tips for parents on how to help prevent this crime.
By Alejandro Sánchez/Factchequeado
This article was produced by our media partner Factchequeado, a media outlet dedicated to fact-checking and building a community of Spanish speakers fighting disinformation in the United States. Would you like to take part? Help us verify the information you receive by sending it to our WhatsApp: +16468736087 or factchequeado.com/whatsapp
