The Walt Disney Company has faced numerous challenges this year with its highly anticipated blockbuster releases. Following Pixar’s lackluster performance with Elemental at the box office, the company is now pinning its hopes on the Harrison Ford-led Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny film from Lucasfilm. While industry analysts predict another potential box office disappointment for Disney, a group of individuals has actively sought to undermine the film’s success. The alt-right movement has launched a social media Gibson Challenge (#gibsonchallenge) campaign aiming to sabotage Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in favor of the human trafficking movie Sound of Freedom, set to release on July 4.
Human Trafficking vs. Human Adventurer
Sound of Freedom, directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, is a gripping 2022 American action drama starring Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp. Caviezel portrays Tim Ballard, an ex-government agent turned vigilante, as he courageously ventures to Colombia to liberate children from the clutches of sex traffickers. The film has been endorsed by Mel Gibson, who urged audiences to see it and bring awareness to the issue.
One of the most disturbing problems in our world today is human trafficking and particularly the trafficking of children. Now the first step of irradiating this crime is awareness. Go see ‘Sound of Freedom.’
“The first step in eradicating this crime is awareness.”
Theaters are selling out. Go to https://t.co/kgBO86RcoH to get your tickets today. pic.twitter.com/obzSmKEmLp
— Sound of Freedom | Movie (@SOFMovie2023) June 30, 2023
Sound of Freedom Gets the #GibsonChallenge
Jack Posobiec, a prominent alt-right political activist, took to Twitter to spearhead the #GibsonChallenge, urging his followers to boycott the new Indiana Jones movie due to perceived “woke” elements. Posobiec criticized including a female character who overpowers Indiana Jones in the film, rallying his supporters to choose Sound of Freedom instead:
Alright, we got a few days left until “The Sound of Freedom” is released on the fourth of July, but if you heard what just happened with the Indiana Jones movie. [sic] This new “woke” Indiana Jones movie has got like a female Indiana Jones coming out and beating him up in the movie. The actress who plays her says it’s glorious that she beats up Indiana Jones in the new movie. Yeah, I don’t like it.
BREAKING: The #GibsonChallenge has begun
Mel Gibson is challenging us to all see SOF instead of Indiana Jones this weekend
@AngelStudiosInc https://t.co/vET4K9oQsW pic.twitter.com/lAq6zxni8m
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 30, 2023
Related: Disney Heading for Disaster, New Indiana Jones Movie Opens to Empty Theaters
The funny thing about this story is that Sound of Freedom was originally supposed to be distributed by 20th Century Fox. However, due to the acquisition of the studio by the Walt Disney Company, the movie was put on hold. The filmmakers diligently pursued the retrieval of distribution rights from Disney for several years, striving to bring the film to theaters. It was eventually acquired by Angel Studios for a release this year.
The question remains: Will you participate in the Gibson Challenge, or do you find it unreasonable? Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s opening night fell short of expectations, and the film is anticipated to continue underperforming. Will this movement gain traction and further impact the movie’s success, or will it be a mere blip on the radar?
