Staff Reporter
Apple Original Films’ F1, starring Brad Pitt, has raced into global cinemas with a commanding $144 million opening, marking a bold theatrical win for the tech giant. Backed by Warner Bros. and directed by Joseph Kosinski, this high-speed drama dazzles audiences with premium visuals and strong reviews. With Pitt leading as a retired racer and real-life F1 legend Lewis Hamilton producing, F1 emerges as a shining spectacle in Apple’s cinematic journey—ambitiously crafted, visually striking, and daringly timed to capture the pulse of summer box office crowds.
🏁 STORY HIGHLIGHTS
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Global Opening Weekend: $144 million
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North American Debut: $55.6 million
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International Box Office: $88.4 million
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Production Budget: Estimated $200M–$300M
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Lead Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem
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Premium Screens Contribution: 58% of sales, $27.7M from IMAX alone
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CinemaScore: A rating
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Apple’s First Major Box Office Success
Apple Original Films has found its first box office breakthrough with F1, a high-speed racing drama starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick fame. The film roared into theaters with a strong $55.6 million opening in North America and an even more impressive $88.4 million internationally, combining for a global launch of $144 million. This marks the biggest worldwide opening of Pitt’s multi-decade career — not adjusted for inflation — and a significant pivot point for Apple’s theatrical ambitions.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF RACE FOR APPLE
For Apple, the journey to the big screen has been anything but smooth. Despite the company’s dominance in tech and streaming, its earlier cinematic ventures — notably Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon — didn’t quite rev up audiences or the box office. But F1 appears to have shifted gears.
With Warner Bros. handling distribution and both studios sharing the marketing load, the film benefited from a promotional campaign that critics and analysts have described as among the most energetic and expansive of the summer. According to Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian, “F1 overperformed thanks to a full-throttle marketing push, smart timing, and premium format appeal.”
STAR POWER MEETS SPEED
In F1, Brad Pitt plays a retired and injured former Formula One driver who returns to the sport, this time partnering with a rising talent portrayed by Damson Idris. Javier Bardem plays the flamboyant team owner who brings the duo together. The story blends personal redemption with high-stakes racing, offering a character-driven narrative wrapped in visually immersive speed sequences.
The film received strong audience feedback, boasting an “A” CinemaScore and near-perfect exit polls. Behind the scenes, the project assembled a powerful team: Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton came aboard as producer alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Kosinski, and Pitt’s Plan B collaborators.
VISUAL HORSEPOWER DRIVES TICKET SALES
A major part of F1’s box office muscle came from its use of premium large-format (PLF) screens. Approximately 58% of total ticket sales were for formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinemas, with IMAX alone contributing $27.7 million, or 19.2% of the film’s total global take. This ranks as the fourth-largest percentage share for IMAX in its history.
The collaboration between IMAX, Kosinski, and Bruckheimer during the film’s production and post-production was key. From the roar of engines to cockpit close-ups, the format captured the essence of Formula One in ways traditional screens simply can’t.
A RISKY INVESTMENT
However, victory isn’t guaranteed. The movie’s net production cost was $200 million, with some estimates placing it closer to $300 million when factoring in marketing. That’s a tall order for any film, especially one centered on a sport that has only recently started to grow in popularity in the U.S.
Still, Apple operates with a business model unlike traditional studios. Box office numbers, while important, are part of a larger ecosystem — one where prestige, brand association, and streaming value play equally crucial roles.
A HARD BRAKE FOR M3GAN 2.0
While F1 accelerated, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s M3GAN 2.0 hit a speed bump. The horror sequel opened with just $10.2 million domestically, a disappointing showing against predictions and less than half the original’s $30.4 million debut in January 2023. Globally, the sequel scraped together $17.2 million, despite having a $25 million budget.
Although the film skewed 53% female, the turnout from younger women — the intended counterprogramming audience to F1 — was not strong enough. Some critics noted that M3GAN 2.0 strayed too far from horror into sci-fi territory, with a robotic menace that felt more “Terminator” than terrifying.
Despite a marginally improved B+ CinemaScore, interest was lukewarm. The original’s spark seems to have dimmed, perhaps due to genre fatigue or shifting tastes.
MIXED RESULTS FOR UNIVERSAL AND DISNEY
Elsewhere, Universal’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon fared better. Now in its third weekend, the family film crossed $200 million domestically and $454.4 million globally, holding onto second place at the box office with a $19.4 million weekend haul.
Pixar and Disney weren’t as fortunate. Their animated sci-fi adventure Elio took a nosedive, tumbling 49–50% in its second weekend to earn $10.7 million domestically. With a global total of $72.3 million and a reported $150 million budget, the numbers are far from encouraging.
Sony’s 28 Years Later also saw a significant drop in its second frame, adding $9.7 million for a domestic total of $50.3 million. While the film surpassed the $100 million global mark — something its indie predecessor 28 Days Later never achieved — its second-week fall suggests limited long-term momentum.
LILO & STITCH BRINGS THE SMILES
One of the weekend’s brighter stories came from Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch. The film quietly surged past $400 million domestically and an impressive $946 million worldwide, becoming the second Hollywood film of 2025 to reach such heights, behind A Minecraft Movie.
Premiering over Memorial Day weekend, Lilo & Stitch managed to hold its own even when facing Tom Cruise’sMission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which now stands at $562 million globally. The success of Lilo reflects the lasting popularity of Disney’s animated classics in live-action format.
THE SUMMER BOX OFFICE: A TALE OF HIGH RISKS AND FAST PAYOFFS
As June ends, the box office story is one of mixed fortunes. While F1 proved that original films, when paired with the right talent and marketing muscle, can still draw crowds, others — including sequels and big-brand animations — faltered despite familiarity and fan bases.
Apple’s F1 isn’t just a win for the company — it’s a signal that high-stakes, theatrical-first strategies can pay off, even in an uncertain landscape. But with a massive budget to recoup and a competitive July ahead, the movie still has a long road to travel.
As the summer box office unfolds, F1 has proven itself a bold and triumphant leap for Apple Original Films, blending star power, technical brilliance, and strategic marketing into a global spectacle. While Brad Pitt’s racing drama races ahead with momentum, the lackluster debut of M3GAN 2.0 highlights the unpredictability of sequels in a shifting cinematic landscape. This weekend serves as a sharp reminder that theatrical success now demands more than franchise familiarity—it thrives on precision, timing, and a spark that truly ignites the screen.
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