Latest news with #AppleOriginalFilms
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
F1 Box Office Win Fuels Apple Studios' Cinematic Future
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Given the huge response the F1 movie received, earning $146.3 million in its first weekend since its global release on 25 June, it marks Apple Studios' first theatrical success, paving the way for a bright future for the studio, even though the movie is yet to break even on its reported $250 million budget. After delivering several flops since its inception in 2019, such as Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, the future of Apple's foray into movies remained doubtful. Now, F1, starring Brad Pitt, may have given Apple Studios enough momentum to choose among four possible directions for its future, according to a report by Variety. The first option could be a full-fledged movie production route, where Apple releases multiple projects in a year through a full-scale distribution model. However, this process is very expensive and complicated, but it could offer a major hold over marketing its products, especially Apple TV. Tim Cook attends the Apple Original Films & Warner Bros. Pictures "F1" World Premiere in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City. Tim Cook attends the Apple Original Films & Warner Bros. Pictures "F1" World Premiere in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City. Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images The second option could be to only pick selected movie projects and work with high-profile celebrities and partners for theatrical releases. However, the incentives for distributors would suffer in case the movies don't perform. But if the movies do well, they would only add to the goodwill and promote other select projects, pushing Apple to prioritize quality over quantity. The third approach Apple Studios could adopt is to produce docuseries, a model similar to Netflix. This could help Apple offer consistent content to its users and streaming exclusivity. In addition, this model would help minimize costs and attract talent from a larger pool. However, following this approach could prevent Apple from working with high-profile celebrities and filmmakers, given the potentially smaller scale of projects. Lastly, Apple could also purchase an existing Hollywood studio or entertainment library with its $30 billion cash reserves and continue to run it with its existing resources. This could lead to the generation of new, instant ideas, access to intellectual property, and a fully functioning revenue-generating model. However, this route seems unlikely for Apple, considering the institutional challenges that come with such studios and the efforts required to make necessary modifications. Many believed that Apple would exit the movie business if F1 failed to meet expectations. But with the success it witnessed with the motorsport-based project, and with ongoing projects in the pipeline, such as Mayday - an action-adventure movie featuring Ryan Reynolds, and a UFO feature from the makers of F1- producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski, it is only a matter of time before Apple chooses a direction to grow into.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
F1 Drivers Let Us Know Just How Realistic ‘F1: The Movie' Really Is
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The following story contains spoilers for F1: The Movie (2025). F1: THE MOVIE is unlike any theatrical experience you'll have this year. The Brad Pitt-starring movie from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and produced by legendary blockbuster-maven Jerry Bruckheimer delivers on its need for speed. The selling point for the film, similar to Kosinski's Maverick, is the fact that Pitt and co-star Damson Idris drove the cars themselves on F1 tracks. While they didn't participate in the races, every interior shot of the actors behind the wheel is actually them. Pitt recently mentioned he racked up over 6,000 miles in a car, which makes him quite an experienced driver in the sport. It's a big production, and certainly one that Apple Original Films is hoping will make a splash this summer blockbuster season. As with all movies rooted in some sort of non-fictional atmosphere, F1: The Movie has to present a realistic reality of the world it seeks to depict. To wit, driver Lewis Hamilton consulted closely with the whole creative team to ensure as much realism as possible ended up in the final product. While that could mean bigger details about how it feels to be behind the wheel, it could also include more minor tidbits, like what an engine sounds like as it's shifting through gears going around a turn, or going up a hill. But what do actual F1 drivers think of the final product? Ahead of the movie's premiere, Men's Health attended the Canadian Grand Prix and spoke with Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto about their experiences watching the film and how it differs from their day-to-day lives. We've broken down their commentary into two major sections—what F1: The Movie gets right and what it gets less right—to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to the movie. Shop Now Gasly immediately keyed into the responsibilities of what it means to be an F1 driver. 'I think some of the core values of the movie, between the dynamic between the teammates, are very well portrayed,' he says. 'The stakes, as a driver, [of] carrying the responsibility of a thousand people working in a team… it's a sport where you put [it] all out [there], but you're not always rewarded on track if the car doesn't perform. That's very well showed.' Colapinto notes that the in-race experience felt very accurate to him. 'If you're not in the grandstand or on the track as a photographer or a marshal, you can't really feel that speed when you watch it on TV,' he states. 'You see that we are very quick, we're going fast in the corners—but you can't feel that adrenaline we've got. You can't feel that sound, vibrations, and all those things that we actually feeling. Or that the fans feel when they're here watching. Unfortunately, [we] can't take that to the fans that are watching from home. I think the movie was a great way to put a lot together to bring to the fans. The camera angles, the ways they were filming the races, and the ways they managed to recreate some scenes are very special and very unique.' Gasly also noted that the sport is very, very data-driven. A lot of F1 can come down to ensuring drivers on a good tire strategy or that pit crews hit a tire change in (literally) two seconds. That's not always the most cinematic thing to behold. 'A lot of other moments [in F1] will be purely boring,' Gasly notes. 'You sit down behind a computer and look at data and make decisions based on that. Then, you go back in the car and push it to the limit … they showed both sides of it in a very smart way.' So, big picture, the Alpine lads were very excited about the way the sport is portrayed in the film, feeling it to be overall quite accurate to what they experience behind the wheel of an F1 car. While it makes for some fun dramatic tension, Sonny's (Brad Pitt) sudden reappearance at the end of the movie on race day is a moment of 'science fiction,' as Colapinto notes. There are a handful of rulings around driver eligibility, including regulation numbers 32.2 ('A change of driver may be made at any time before the start of the sprint shootout at each competition where a sprint session is scheduled') and 37.1 ('No driver may start a sprint session or the race without taking part in at least one practice session'). Sonny wouldn't be allowed to race on the day without having participated in either practice or qualifying. While we hate to be buzzkills, Sonny showing up to save the day on the track couldn't have occurred in the manner in which it does. If he'd participated in strategy for Pearce (Damson Idris), well, that'd be a different story. But he wouldn't have been allowed in the driver's seat. This is a very minor issue, but the montage of races that occurs in the middle stretch of the movie slots the Belgian Grand Prix after the Mexico Grand Prix. That's not technically correct. While F1 is certainly a globe-trotting affair for the most part, races are typically stacked in the same part of the world to cut down on extensive traveling. In fact, the Belgian GP is part of the middle stretch of the calendar, featuring a handful of European races including Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. While some of those races swap weeks here and there, F1 wouldn't go from North America all the way back to Europe with only a few weeks left to go before the season concludes. Around the midpoint of the film, Pearce has a very intense crash. While accidents and even deaths are not uncommon in F1, one of this magnitude is a little more on the rare side. In a press conference about the movie, Kosinski confirmed that Pearce's crash is inspired, in part, by the 1966 movie Grand Prix. Sort of the F1: The Movie of its era, the John Frankenheimer-helmed and James Garner-led film features a big crash sequence that's similarly staged. As for the real-life stakes of an F1 race, well, here's what Gasly had to say. 'There was one crash where it looked pretty dramatic,' he tells us. 'Hopefully, we will never see that happening on track… I think it was to make people understand, [to] get that sense of danger and fear, because when you see a car pass—most people see a car pass [while] we go at crazy speed, 350 [kph]—it's fine. People understand [that speed]. But sometimes you go at a hundred, and it looks safe. The reality is, speed is very dangerous [and] sometimes you need to make it look slightly more dramatic to get that sense of fear.' 'It's quite unrealistic,' Colapinto added. Again, it's not that deaths don't happen in the sport; the last major F1-related death happened in 2014 when Jules Bianchi passed away as the result of injuries sustained during an accident at the Japanese Grand Prix. In the aftermath of Bianchi's death, the Halo—a ring-like bar that sits right above a driver's head—was implemented and has now become a standard safety practice across a variety of motorsport activities, including Formula 1 to 4, and even IndyCar. But having a car fly off the track in that manner is highly unlikely in the course of the sport nowadays. The most significant and most glaring difference from an actual F1 race to F1: The Movie involves Sonny's—ahem—suspect race strategy. His plan to intentionally stroll debris across the track, by clipping his front wing and then driving through a sign, would, simply, not fly in today's F1 climate. 'I really doubt the FIA will let [that] happen,' Gasly says. Intentional or deliberate acts are typically penalized; recently, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was punished for driving his car into the side of Mercedes driver George Russell, resulting in a penalty point on his license. If drivers accumulate a total of 12 points in a 12 month period, they'll receive a one-race ban. In this instance, Verstappen received his 11th point, meaning that he's one more infraction away from incurring that one-race ban. It is safe to say that if Sonny's behavior would have, if determined by the FIA, been as intentional as he makes it out to be in the movie, he would have received a penalty point on his license at worst, and possibly a race (or races) ban at worst. You Might Also Like The Best Hair Growth Shampoos for Men to Buy Now 25 Vegetables That Are Surprising Sources of Protein
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Brad Pitt‘s F1 Movie Opens to $55.6M as Liberty Eyes New Rights Pact
As Formula 1 continues to have discussions about the future of its U.S. media rights, the racing property is hoping the strong opening for a new feature film starring Brad Pitt may be just the thing to help push those talks over the finish line. F1: The Movie took in some $55.6 million in its domestic rollout, which is quite a haul for a non-sequel, adult-oriented film that isn't constructed around superhero IP. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the Apple Original Films offering stars the septuagenarian Pitt in the unlikely role as a washed-up racer who breaks back onto the circuit after a 30-year layoff. More from Carlos Alcaraz, Swampy Heat May Boost Wimbledon TV Ratings NASCAR Drafts off Hoops, Soccer Leagues With In-Season Challenge NASCAR Teams Must Share Financial Data, Judge Rules The film booked another $88.4 million overseas, although it will have to generate a much greater windfall if it is to earn back an estimated $300 million in production and marketing expenses. The stateside summer release calendar may put the kibosh on a profit, however, as this weekend marks the launch of yet another Jurassic Park sequel—the seventh release in the series arrives on the heels of 2022's $1 billion blockbuster Jurassic World: Dominion—while Warner Bros.' Superman hits the multiplex on July 11. If the F1 flick continues to draw a crowd here in the U.S., that enthusiasm could spill over to the televised racing product. While ABC's broadcast of the Miami Grand Prix delivered the third-largest domestic F1 audience with 2.17 million viewers, that marked a 29% decline from the year-ago race (3.07 million), which was boosted by a lead-in from Game 7 of the Magic-Cavaliers NBA playoff series (4.32 million). Oscar Piastri's win in Miami also trailed a competing NASCAR Cup Series race on FS1, a basic-cable network that reaches approximately 30 million fewer homes than ABC. Despite the relatively restricted delivery system, the May 4 race at Texas Motor Superspeedway averaged 2.56 million viewers. As much as F1 ratings zoomed to previously unimagined heights during its first few years as a Disney media partner, the TV growth effectively maxed out in 2022, when ESPN and its broadcast sibling averaged 1.21 million viewers per race. The following year saw F1's deliveries slip 8.5% to 1.11 million viewers, an average delivery that carried over to the 2024 season. By way of comparison, NASCAR served up 2.9 million viewers per race over the course of its two most recent seasons. The fact that NASCAR draws an audience that is two-and-a-half times the size of the F1 crowd likely goes a long way toward explaining why the latter group is getting pushback in its talks with prospective media partners. F1's parent company, Liberty Media, is looking to double the value of its current $90 million/year deal with Disney, and that big ask has prompted the Mouse House to allow its exclusive negotiating window to lapse without a renewal. (ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has demonstrated his unwillingness to overpay for even a Big Four league, opting out of the final two years of the company's legacy $550 million/year MLB deal in February.) While Apple is among the list of digital disruptors said to be kicking the tires on an F1 rights pact, a paywall will all but certainly prevent F1 from achieving the sort of rapid growth it enjoyed on cable and broadcast TV. (Disney's ratings nearly doubled between 2018, the first year of its F1 stewardship, and 2022.) As illustrated by the 10-year, $2.5 billion Apple-MLS deal, all the money in the world can't buy a bigger audience when fans have to shell out $99.99 for a season pass. F1 still has plenty of time to work out the particulars of a new U.S. rights deal (its ESPN contract expires when the 2025 season runs out in December), and there's an outside chance enthusiasm for the feature film might help boost the televised product just as the talks start heating up. ESPN will carry three F1 races between now and early August, with the British Grand Prix set to roar into view on July 6. The 2024 race averaged 1.29 million viewers, which should provide a solid baseline for any post-theatrical comparisons when the holiday-delayed official Nielsen data for this year's event drops on July 9. Best of Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles in History The 100 Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World NFL Private Equity Ownership Rules: PE Can Now Own Stakes in Teams
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'F1 the Movie' Revs To US$144 Million Global Debut; '28 Years Later' Hits Franchise Best With US$103M
Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures' F1 the Movie is racing towards massive success, garnering a US$144 million global box office over its opening weekend, marking the biggest opening to date for an Apple film. Following along this momentum, Danny Boyle and Sony's post-apocalyptic threequel, 28 Years Later , has also risen to become the franchise's biggest grosser at US$103 million worldwide, after receiving an additional US$13.7 million from 63 overseas markets after its second weekend. The success of F1 the Movie comes as no surprise, owing to the popularity of Formula 1 across the globe, marking the biggest opening weekend for an Apple title across Europe as a region, including topping most markets in Asia. The film also presents the first commercial win for Apple, after notable big-screen underperformers like 2023's Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon , or 2024's Argylle . F1 follows an ageing American racing driver and former Formula 1 prodigy named Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), who returns to the sport after a 30-year absence to save his former teammates' underdog APXGP F1 team from collapse. The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski ( Top Gun: Maverick ) and made in collaboration with the FIA, the governing body of F1, and featured real-life F1 teams and drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, who was also a producer. 28 Years Later , on the other hand, marks the third instalment in the 28 Days Later film franchise, and like its namesake, is set almost three decades after the second Rage Virus outbreak as seen in 2007's 28 Weeks Later , and follows survivors Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and his son Spike (Alfie Williams), who embark on a dangerous journey to the mainland from their village community for a coming-of-age ritual. In other box office news, Universal's live-action How to Train Your Dragon continues to fly high, adding US$32 million globally in its third weekend and earning US$454 million worldwide to date. M3GAN 2.0 , on the other hand, saw a downgrade with its disappointing US$17 million launch weekend earnings, falling short of the 2023 original's box office launch of US$45 million globally. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. 28 Years Later box office F1 F1 The Movie
1News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 1News
F1 The Movie delivers Apple its biggest box office opening
Apple has its first box-office hit. F1 The Movie debuted with US$55.6 million (NZ$ 91.7 million) in North American theatres and US$144 million (NZ$237.5 million) globally over the weekend, according to studio estimates, handing the tech company easily its biggest opening yet. Although Apple Original Films has had some notable successes in its six years in Hollywood — including the 2021 Oscar-winner CODA — its theatrical results have been decidedly mixed. Misfires like Argylle and Fly Me to the Moon and big-budget awards plays like Ridley Scott's Napoleon and Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon have been better at driving viewers to Apple TV+ than movie theatres. But F1 was Apple's first foray into summer blockbuster territory. It won a bidding war for the project from much of the production team behind the 2022 box-office smash Top Gun: Maverick. Apple then partnered with Warner Bros to distributed the film starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and Kerry Condon. With a production budget more than US$200 million (NZ$329.8 million), F1 still has several laps to go to turn a profit. But for now, F1 is full speed ahead. ADVERTISEMENT "The film's outstanding debut reflects both the excitement of Formula 1 and the deeply emotional and entertaining story crafted by the entire cast and creative team," said Zack Van Amburg, who heads worldwide video for Apple with Jamie Erlicht. "Their dedication and innovation have fuelled an unforgettable cinematic experience". Car racing movies have often struggled in theatres; crash-and-burn cases include Ron Howard's Rush (2013) and Michael Mann's Ferrari (2023). But F1 built off the Formula 1 fandom stirred up by the popular series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. And it leaned on Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer to deliver another adult-oriented action thrill ride. As in Top Gun: Maverick, the filmmakers sought an adrenaline rush by placing IMAX cameras inside the cockpit in F1. IMAX and large-format screens accounted for 55% of in its ticket sales. IMAX, whose screens were much sought-after in the summer, carved out a three-week run for the movie. Warner Bros expected F1 to perform well overseas, where the sport was more popular than it was in the US. Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros, said Pitt was the movie's "secret sauce". The US$144 million (NZ$237.5 million) global launch is the actor's biggest opening weekend. "We came up with multiple campaigns based on where you are in the world," said Goldstein. "We planned for an audience-winner: Screen the movie and get it out there. People talking about this movie drove this movie." Reviews have been very good for F1 and audience reaction (an A via CinemaScore) was even better. That suggested F1 could hold up well in the coming weeks despite some formidable competition coming in Universal Pictures' Jurassic World Rebirth. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, praised Warner Bros for making F1 a theatrical event. The studio was also behind the year's other big original release, Sinners. ADVERTISEMENT "For Apple, this demonstrates to them the prestige factor of having a big theatrical release," said Dergarabedian. "It elevates their brand." Universal's M3gan 2.0 had been expected to pose a greater challenge to F1. Instead, the robot doll sequel didn't come close to matching the 2022 original's box-office launch. M3gan 2.0 collected US$10.2 million (NZ$16.8 million) in 3112 theatres. Memes and viral videos helped propel the first M3gan to a US$30.4 million (NZ$50.1 million) opening and a total haul of US$180 million (NZ$296.8 million), all on a US$12 million (NZ$19.7 million) budget. Still, the Blumhouse Productions horror thriller could wind up profitable. The film, written and directed by Gerald Johnstone, cost a modest US$25 million (NZ$41.2 million) to make. A spinoff titled Soulm8te was scheduled for release next year. M3gan 2.0 ended up in fourth place. The box-office leader of the last two weekends, How to Train Your Dragon, slid to second with US$19.4 million (NZ$31.9 million). The DreamWorks Animation live-action hit from Universal Pictures has surpassed US$200 million (NZ$329.8 million) domestically in three weeks. After a debut that marked a new low for Pixar, the studio's Elio gathered up US$10.7 million (NZ$17.6 million) in sales in its second weekend. That gives the Walt Disney Co release a disappointing two-week start of US$42.2 million (NZ$69.6 million).
