by Sharon Rondeau
(Jul. 2, 2023) — 8:36 a.m. EDT – As announced by weekend Fox & Friends co-host Johnny Joey Jones moments ago, well-known actor Jim Caviezel will be a guest of the program prior to its conclusion at 10:00 a.m.
As Jones noted, Caviezel played the role of Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” but has starred in a new film, “Sound of Freedom,” focusing on the growing child-trafficking enterprise as penetrated by former CIA and DHS agent and Operation Underground Railroad founder, Tim Ballard.
Ballard’s bio reads:
Tim Ballard spent more than a decade working as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security, where he was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and deployed as an undercover operative for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team.
He has worked in that role and since in every type of case in the fight to dismantle child trafficking rings. He’s worked in the United States and in multiple foreign countries to infiltrate child trafficking organizations. He has successfully dismantled dozens of these organizations and rescued children from slavery and exploitation.
While working for the government, Ballard saw how much more is needed in the fight against child trafficking and exploitation across the world. In 2013, he and a team of former government operatives left the security of their careers to accomplish the work of rescuing children as a private foundation – Operation Underground Railroad. At O.U.R., Tim has created a team that can work in any jurisdiction and in conjunction with law enforcement to rescue children directly. That team exists today and operates all over the world.
Advertisements for the film’s debut, which will take place in theaters on July 4, have been seen of late on TruthSocial and Twitter.
At 8:49 a.m., co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy announced Caviezel would appear following the upcoming commercial break, with the camera showing his entrance on-set.
At 8:53, the segment began. While Caviezel agreed with Campos-Duffy that the film is a “thriller,” he said the lack of a “southern border” has encouraged the trafficking of approximately two million children into the United States. Consequently, he said, Angel Studios, the producer, hopes to sell 2,000,000 tickets prior to July 4.
On June 30, Deadline reported that more than $7.5 million in pre-sale tickets had been realized.
On June 23, Jan Jekielek of The Epoch Times highly recommended the film. “I’m a strong ‘yes’ on this one,” he wrote on Twitter. “Absolutely ‘Incredible’ film; handles one of the most difficult issues with grace & thoughtfulness…”
His interview with Caviezel and Ballard was aired on June 29.
The full trailer to the film can be viewed on Twitter. Tickets can be purchased here.
Updated, 9:18 a.m. EDT.