‘F1' Tops Box Weekend Office Charts And Could Become Apple Studios' Biggest Hit

Forbes

19 hours ago

Topline
'F1,' Apple Original Films' new Formula One racing movie starring Brad Pitt, topped the box office charts over the weekend—the first major hit in theaters for the tech giant's film and television production studios.
"F1" Director Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt, Kerry Condon, and Damson Idris arrive at the ... More film's premiere. 2025 Invision
Key Facts
'F1' grossed $55.6 million at the domestic box office over the weekend, according to advance numbers published in multiple Hollywood trade publications, as well as an additional $88.4 million worldwide and $10 million from previews.
The movie has still not earned back its hefty budget of $200 million, and will need to keep drawing viewers to theaters in the upcoming weeks to make a profit.
'M3GAN 2.0,' the sequel to the surprise 2022 horror hit 'M3GAN,' bombed at its opening weekend, bringing in only $10.2 million at the box office and finishing behind holdovers including 'How To Train Your Dragon.'
Key Background
Apple Studios has produced several noteworthy films in the past five years, including Martin Scorsese's over three-hour-long 'Killers of the Flower Moon' and the 2021 Best Picture winner 'CODA.' However, many of those films did not profit or even break even based off box office sales alone. Scorsese's film raked in $158.8 million at the box office, far from its estimated budget of over $200 million. Apple's highest-grossing film so far was Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' in 2023, another historical epic that cost $130 million-$200 million to produce. 'Napoleon' only grossed $228 million at the box office, and 'F1' is on track to outpace the film after its stellar opening weekend.
Tangent
Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously said that the company's significant investment in film and television is not directly related to its core business—selling consumer electronics. 'I don't have it in my mind that I'm going to sell more iPhones because of it,' Cook told Variety in June. However, the company does appear to be using its large network of buyers to help promote 'F1.' IPhone owners across the U.S. received push notifications over the weekend offering users a $10 discount if they purchase two tickets through ticketing service Fandango.
Big Number
Apple tapped director Joseph Kosinski and legendary producer Jerry Buckheimer for the project—the team behind the 2022 hit 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office worldwide.
Surprising Fact
'F1' already made back some of its money in a way familiar to fans of the racing fans—brand sponsorships. 'F1' producers sold naming rights to real brands for the fictional APXGP racing team, putting brands like Mercedes and Geico on Brad Pitt's car and racing suit. This move brought in an estimated $40 million for the film, producer David Leener told Forbes.