'F1' opens with $55 million, delivering Apple its biggest big-screen hit
[June 30, 2025]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple has its first box-office hit.
“F1 The Movie” debuted with $55.6 million in North American theaters and
$144 million globally over the weekend, according to studio estimates
Sunday, handing the tech company easily its biggest opening yet.
Though 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 theaters.
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 over $200 million, “F1” still has several laps
to go to turn a profit. But for now, “F1” is full speed ahead.
"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
fueled an unforgettable cinematic experience.”
Car racing movies have often struggled in theaters; 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
are much sought-after in the summer, has carved out a three-week run for
the movie.
Warner Bros. expected “F1” to perform well overseas, where the sport is
more popular than it is in the U.S. Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution
chief for Warner Bros., said Pitt was the movie's “secret sauce.” The
$144 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 suggests “F1” could hold up well in
the coming weeks despite some formidable coming competition in Universal
Pictures’ “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
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This image released by Universal Pictures shows M3GAN in a scene
from "M3GAN 2.0." (Universal Pictures via AP)
 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."
“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 $10.2 million in 3,112 theaters. Memes and
viral videos helped propel the first “M3gan” to a $30.4 million
opening and a total haul of $180 million, all on a $12 million
budget.
Still, the Blumhouse Productions horror thriller could wind up
profitable. The film, written and directed by Gerald Johnstone, cost
a modest $25 million to make. A spinoff titled “Soulm8te” is
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
$19.4 million. The DreamWorks Animation live-action hit from
Universal Pictures has surpassed $200 million domestically in three
weeks.
After a debut that marked a new low for Pixar, the studio’s “Elio”
gathered up $10.7 million in sales in its second weekend. That gives
the Walt Disney Co. release a disappointing two-week start of $42.2
million.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “F1 The Movie,” $55 million.
2. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $19.4 million.
3. “Elio,” $10.7 million.
4. “M3gan 2.0,” $10.2 million.
5. “28 Years Later,” $9.7 million.
6. “Lilo & Stitch,” $6.9 million.
7. “Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning,” $4.2 million.
8. “Materialists,” $3 million.
9. “Ballerina,” $2.1 million.
10. “Karate Kid: Legends,” $1 million.
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