Tim Ballard shares how 'Sound of Freedom' shines light on a global criminal enterprise
Former DHS special agent Tim Ballard says 'children are under attack' as his new film tells fight in rescuing trafficked children on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'
Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard's film "Sound of Freedom," which highlights the realities of child sex-trafficking, is continuing to draw in audiences across the country.
The movie is outperforming other Hollywood contenders such as Walt Disney's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," raking in over $14 million on its opening day.
The thriller is based on the true story of Ballard, a former federal agent, and his mission to save children from the underground sex slave trade.
In 2013, Ballard quit his job as a DHS special agent to establish Operation Underground Railroad, which helps rescue trafficked children from sex slavery and exploitation worldwide.
Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ," stars as Ballard's character in the film and said it's the best movie he's done since his 2004 box office mega hit on Wednesday's "The Ingraham Angle."
Ballard told guest host Katie Pavlich on "Jesse Watters Primetime" that the United States has the number-one demand for child exploitation material.
"We're thrilled that we have an opportunity to shine a light on what is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world," he said. "$150 billion is made every year off the backs of slaves, including millions of children who are enslaved."
"We've ranked in the top three for destination countries," he added. "It's the economy of pedophilia."
Ballard said he hopes "Sound of Freedom" will cause people to "wake up."
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Caviezel recalled his reaction to the script when he was first approached about the film on Wednesday's "The Ingraham Angle."
"The script was phenomenal. I saw the movie ‘Taken’ years ago, and this is a real story about ‘Taken,’ and it's a quintessential good versus evil, and there's those who want to protect the children and those that want to exploit the children," he said. "So it's good versus evil."
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Caviezel reacted to the film's July 4 opening day success and expressed his hopes for it to create awareness surrounding the sex-trafficking industry.
"Can we love God's children more than we fear evil? That's the challenge here, and Americans are up to it," he said. "I love it, and they hear the sound of freedom because God's children are no longer for sale."
"It's about the children and Americans waking up right now," he continued. "And the only way these laws are going to be changed is that if the people move right now to save them, this is a good-versus-evil story. This is a battle hero story, and I was very blessed that I got the opportunity, just as I was blessed to do 'The Passion of the Christ,’ and this is the best film I've done since that film."
Angel Studios, the distribution company behind "The Chosen," licensed the rights to "Sound of Freedom" in March, launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the film's theatrical release.
The film has a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes as of press time and an A+ CinemaScore rating.
Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin, Lauryn Overhultz and Kristine Parks contributed to this report.