'Sound of Freedom' Creators Pay Funder Accused in Child Kidnapping

The production company behind the hit film Sound of Freedom has paid the several thousand people who invested to see the movie released in cinemas, apparently including one person who is facing charges related to child kidnapping.

Angel Studios announced on Wednesday that it had repaid all 6,678 investors who crowdfunded the film's theatrical debut, plus a promised 20 percent dividend, given the movie's phenomenal $174 million takings at the box office on a budget of $19 million since being released in early July.

Newsweek previously reported that Fabian Marta, one of the many who helped fund the movie, was arrested in late July and charged with accessory to child kidnapping, according to a Missouri court filing. Marta has denied any wrongdoing and his attorney has said he will plead his innocence in court.

Newsweek approached Angel Studios via email for comment on Friday.

Sound of Freedom dramatizes the story of anti-child sex-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad and its founder, Tim Ballard, who is played in the movie by Jim Caviezel.

Its release was initially delayed after being "bounced around" by studios and the COVID-19 pandemic leaving many productions shelved, Angel Studios previously said, before nearly $5 million was crowdfunded for its theatrical release.

The production has since shocked industry insiders by competing with—and occasionally beating—the likes of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One at the domestic box office in July.

The film has attracted the support of individuals from both sides of the political spectrum for its portrayal of the global issue but has also faced criticism for starring Caviezel, who has espoused QAnon conspiracy theories, in the lead role.

Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, said in a statement on Wednesday: "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."

He added that the crowdfunding bid had been "key to our theatrical strategy and paying out as quickly as possible is always our first priority."

St. Louis Metropolitan Police this month confirmed to Newsweek that Marta, 51, from Chesterfield, Missouri, was charged on July 23 following an incident reported on July 21. Marta's name appears in the movie's credits among the "investors [who] helped bring Sound of Freedom to theaters."

In social media posts since, Marta confirmed he had funded the film but vehemently denied any wrongdoing, claiming the charge was linked to an alleged kidnapping that "never happened" by a mother who lived in an apartment building he owned.

"Even through this attack on my character, business, family and freedom, remaining grounded is the only way," he wrote in an August 17 post on X, formerly Twitter. "Truth will always outlast and God wins."

Marta's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, told Newsweek that his client would be entering a plea of not guilty at a court hearing on August 28, and confirmed that Marta's account of the incident that led to his arrest also was his understanding of the events.

"The charges are ill-conceived," Rosenblum previously told the New York Post. "He had nothing to do with kidnapping anyone."

In a statement, Harmon addressed Marta's arrest, saying the company adhered to the requirements of federal and state laws and regulations in allowing 6,678 people to invest an average of $501 each into the launch of Sound of Freedom.

"Just as anyone can invest in the stock market, everyone who meets the legal criteria can invest in Angel Studios projects," Harmon said. "One of the perks of investing was the ability to be listed in the credits."

Jeff Harmon, his brother and co-founder of Angel Studios, took to X to add: "He is one of 6600+ crowd investors. Seriously, who sorted through 6600 names of random people who put a few hundred dollars into P&A funding and cross checked it with local judicial databases? That's a lot of work for a nothingburger."