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SUNDAY AM: It’s a win for original movies. It’s a win for racing car movies. It’s a win for the Zack Van Amburg- and Jamie Erlicht-led Apple Original Films on the big screen, and it’s another win for Warner Bros, which has showed under the Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy regime that original event movies can be launched.
Apple Original Films’ F1 via Warner Bros is opening to $144M worldwide and $55.6M domestic.
Said Head of Worldwide Video Van Amburg: “F1 has inspired audiences around the globe with its underdog story and perfect blend of high-octane racing and human-centered storytelling. 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. Their dedication and innovation have fueled an unforgettable cinematic experience.”
Head of Worldwide Video Erlicht added: “We’re thrilled by the global response to F1 and grateful to the audiences who’ve embraced the film with such enthusiasm. This success is a testament to the vision of Joe, Jerry, Brad, and Lewis, along with the efforts of the entire cast and crew. Together with Formula 1, they’ve created an inspiring cinematic journey that captures the energy and spirit of the sport.”
Overall, F1 has been a four-year track for Van Amburg, Erlicht and Head of Features Matt Dentler, who put this massive movie together, a collaboration with Formula One shooting at live races around the world.
For those cynics wondering why F1 didn’t move the odometer past it’s already overindexed $55M, we’re in a 10-day holiday stretch, dummies. The fantastic buzz is out there on this Brad Pitt movie, and now everyone wants the best Imax or PLF seats in the house, so they’ll wait. No one wants to sit in the first two rows. Plus, there’s plenty of times to go to the movies.
“Like a perfectly tuned F1 car, the Apple and Warner Bros. teams mounted a theatrical marketing and distribution plan that will be a blueprint for others, studios, and streamers alike, to follow moving forward and much like a crackerjack pit crew their strategy, executed with balletic precision, resulted in a successful launch while simultaneously delivering a great moviegoing experience,” said Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, “Most importantly, “F1 The Movie‘s release took a risk and cracked the elusive code on how to take a motorsports-themed movie and take it mainstream while demonstrating to Apple and other streaming-centric companies that a theatrical release represents (for the appropriate film) a branding bonanza and prestige-building opportunity that has no peer.”
RELATED: Brad Pitt’s Apple ‘F1’ Movie: Everything We Know So Far
While studios like Universal will tubthump their tentpoles through myriad tentacles of their entertainment vertical, Apple promotes its movies and series to those who own some of the 2.2 billion Apple products.
Read, for F1 the $3 trillion company introduced the first-of-its-kind haptic trailer for iPhone, a means of marketing that has rival studios jealous. The trailer used the Taptic Engine, a component inside the handset that creates tactile feedback. The trailer was timed to key moments in the trailer from the rumble of car engines to Pitt’s seat buckle.
There was a themed F1 keynote at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC25), Apple’s biggest annual event, with a special screening and convo between the movie’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Apple’s Eddy Cue.
RELATED: ‘F1’ Producer Jerry Bruckheimer & Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore Announce First-Round Picks At NHL Draft In Los Angeles
Apple Pay offered movie ticket discounts. Apple Retail Stores came alive with special appearances by CEO Tim Cook and Pitt, alongside interactive sessions with the movie’s artisans and curated in-store displays.
Apple Maps gave moviegoers a deeper dive into Formula 1, exploring the iconic Grand Prix racetracks featured in the film.
F1 was pushed on Apple Music, Apple Podcasts as well as Apple Fitness+, with a set of fast-paced new workouts inspired by the film.
Warners dropped the first teaser on July 7, roughly a year ahead of the movie’s release, in a partnership with Formula One. Foreign appeal on this movie was always there given the greater popularity of the racing sport abroad. But how do you even get domestic audiences in the car? Particularly the heartland? Similar to how Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick related the ups and downs of fighter pilots, the F1 campaign as sold on the idea of triumph and the underdog overcoming. Also accessibility. F1 stunts were never a velvet rope event, but made available to all, i.e. DHL Worldwide sponsored an “unboxing” of the cars in New York City’s Times Square timed to the pic’s premiere there two weeks ago. More F1 for the people included Pitt dropping in at an Imax screening in Austin to 400-plus fans. Media for F1 was pushed to the NASCAR fans as well at races like the Daytona 500.
In addition to Apple and Formula One roaring their engines for F1, there were 33 global promotional partners. Total worldwide media value was north of $100M-plus. iHeartRadio pushed the pic’s soundtrack to markets like Nashville, raising its profile. Other partners included Mercedes-Benz, T-Mobile for movie ticketing, Heineken and KFC, the latter having its biggest promotion ever on a Hollywood movie.
Mexico has been a big global stop for Warner Bros’ movies’ Sinners and A Minecraft Movie and was again for F1, where footage was shown from the movie, content creators gathered along with Pitt in attendance. Pitt, a la Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson, left no stone unturned in promoting this movie around the world.
In regard to those on the production, promoting the film on social, RelishMix gave props to F1 producer/Formula One champion driver Lewis Hamilton, who has been talking about the movie to his 55.8M fans. Co-star Damson Idris has also been active about the movie with his 2.4M fans.
The social media convo on F1 is running positive with both racing and action movie fans praising the promise of this movie. The driving scenes featured in the trailer are exciting viewers, with director Kosinski seemingly bringing the same rush he brought to fighter jets in Top Gun: Maverick to racing in this film. Sample comments: “It really looks AWESOME. I cannot wait to see the movie. Brad Pitt and F1 will be EPIC!” and “These camera angles looking fire.” Its connection to the real F1 racing community is enticing many longtime supporters: “I spotted Fernando Alonso in the trailer,” and “I can’t wait. Apparently, Lewis Hamilton is a producer and trying to make it as real as possible.”
Kosinski used a new type of Imax digital cameras to shoot the movie, creating miniatures that were fastened to the Formula One cars. The movie was promoted to be seen in all large formats. Imax screens cleared $12.8M, repping 23% of the North American debut from just 414 auditoriums, becoming the eighth film in Imax history and third year-to-date to achieve 20%+ indexing. F1 is booked in Imax for two weeks (not three, as we reported).
Meanwhile, Universal/Blumhouse’s M3GAN 2.0 got run over by F1, but not because she decided to step on the track. Less than the release date, her tanking here with $10.2M has more to do with the movie being more campy and less fearsome.
Total box office per Comscore is $127.5M, -18% off from a year ago, when there was the third $57.5M weekend of Inside Out 2, the $52.2M opening of A Quiet Place: Day One, and even Kevin Costner’s Horizon doing $11M. However, the 2025 box office year stands at $4.1 billion, raging +15 ahead of the Jan. 1-June 29 period of last year.
1.) F1 (Apple/WB) 3,661 theaters Fri $25M, Sat $17.5M, Sun $13.1M 3-day $55.6M/Wk 1
2.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 4,127 (-246) theaters, Fri $5.8M (-46%) Sat $7.6M Sun $5.9M 3-day $19.4M (-47%), Total $200M/Wk 3
3.) Elio (Dis) 3,750 theaters, Fri $3.2M (-64%) Sat $4.2M Sun $3.3M 3-day $10.7M (-49%), Total $42.2M/Wk 2
4.) M3GAN 2.0. (Uni) 3,112 theaters, Fri $4.5M Sat $3.2M Sun $2.4M 3-day $10.2M/Wk 1
5.) 28 Years Later (Sony) 3,444 theaters, Fri $3M (-79%), 3-day $9.5M (-68%), Total $50.1M/Wk 2
6.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 2,900 (-475) theaters, Fri $2M (-32%), Sat $2.8M, Sun $2.1M 3-day $6.9M (-29%), Total $400M/Wk 6
7.) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Par) 2,157 (-446) theaters, Fri $1.1M (-38%) Sat $1.7M Sun $1.3M 3-day $4.1M (-36%), Total $186M/Wk 6
8.) Materialists (A24) 1,931 (-913) theaters, Fri $946K (-51%) Sat $1.1M Sun $880K 3-day $2.99M (-48%), Total $30.4M/Wk 3
9.) Ballerina (LG) 1,796 (-741) theaters, Fri $600K, Sat $900K Sun $630K 3-day $2.1M (-52%), Total $55.4M/Wk 4
10) Karate Kid: Legends (Sony) 925 (-1,081) theaters, Fri $275K (-62%), Sat $415K Sun $310K 3-day $1M (-58%), Total $51.5M/Wk 5
11.) Final Destination Bloodlines (NL) 742 (-600) theaters, Fri $285K (-52%), Sat $375K, Sun $245K 3-day $905K (-52%), Total $136.6M/Wk 7
SATURDAY AM: No need to change tires here, because Apple Original Films’ F1 via Warner Bros is still zooming around the track with a massive $140M global opening we hear, not only the best ever for the streamer that embraced theatrical, but also a record start for a Brad Pitt movie ahead of World War Z‘s $112M global launch.
How that breaks out (no pun intended): $85M overseas debut and $55M 3-day. Note rivals are seeing F1 going off course to $56M-$58M. There’s bound to be more gas in the tank today for F1 with hot audience exits A CinemaScore here (the second back-to-back for producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski who landed an A+ on Top Gun: Maverick), 5 Stars PostTrak at 92%, and an amazing 78% definite recommend, the most powerful odometer as far as moviegoers’ reactions go. Stand up and applause once again for Warner Bros in launching an original movie post Sinners, something they’ve been masters at with Argo, the Christopher Nolan movies, etc. Great films find their way through the noise. Pitt’s Plan B and Lewis Hamilton are also producers here on F1.
Brad Pitt in ‘F1: The Movie’
Warner Bros./Everett Collection
With $25M on Friday alone stateside, F1 is just $100K shy of being Pitt’s best opening day at the box office. World War Z posted $25.1M back in 2013; that movie at the domestic B.O. still the Oscar winner’s best debut at $66.4M. F1 looks to be second.
Stateside, PLFs and Imax are driving 58% of F1 with Imax alone contributing 25%. Huge. Remember that whole stigma about moviegoers turning their noses up at racing car movies? Throw that out the car window: 40% of the audience went because it was a racing car movie, while 35% went because it’s a Pitt movie. Just like Bruckheimer brought Pirate movies back from the dead, racing movies have been revived under his watch with F1 opening higher than Ford v. Ferrari‘s $31.4M domestic opening. It’s also ahead (unadjusted for inflation) of the Bruckheimer produced Days of Thunder from 1990 which opened to $15.4M and topped out at $82.6M U.S./Canada, $157.9M WW.
F1 is playing evenly from coast to coast, but strong in the South Central, Mountain and West. AMC Lincoln Square is the top grossing venue in NYC with close to $119K. The young-ins are still heading to the track here for F1 with 29% between the ages of 13-24. Over/under 35 is 53%/47%. Diversity demos are 52% Caucasian, 23% Latino and Hispanic, 11% Asian American and 10% Black.
Universal
Yes, yes, we teased that Universal/Blumhouse’s M3GAN 2.0 was going to run F1 off the course three weeks ago with a $30M+ opening, however, tracking didn’t have its gears greased. Quite often franchise movies come on strong on tracking in total awareness versus originals (this always happens, remember what happened with Sinners?). However, M3GAN 2.0 is powering down to a $10.4M opening. Though she has a B+ CinemaScore, higher than her first B, nobody is making a date to play with M3GAN 2.0. Interesting enough, audience exit at 84% is higher than critics’ Rotten Tomatoes at 58%; the latter putting the doll up on the shelf this time around after a 93% critical score for her first 2023 chapter. From the few who decided to go, M3GAN 2.0 has a 62% definite recommend on PostTrak, which isn’t bad at all. Still, no one wants to have a dolly tea party with M3GAN 2.0.
In regards to why M3GAN 2.0 isn’t seducing, some may want to blame the release date given that F1 is pulling in 38% women. However, there’s always room in the marketplace for female counterprogramming. This was a complete rejection by the fans for the second go-round of this gimmick movie. No scares were sold to pull audiences in; just more camp which you could see in the marketing (street posters were emblazoned with ‘Hey Queens’). The response from exhibitor screenings was that the doll was a redux of Terminator 2.
Though social media universe reach was +27% above other horror franchises with 263M according to RelishMix, there was negative word of mouth with “some taking umbrage with the look of the titular character, ‘That face looks CG, I liked the last one which was kind of a mask, and a mix of familiar and unfamiliar,’ and, ‘Is it me or did the graphics get worse?’ Meanwhile, some are already hedging their bets, sharing, ‘A movie which you know how exactly it’s gonna play out.’ As well, ‘Changing genres was a grave mistake. The box office will reflect that.’”
Any battery life for M3GAN 2.0 is in the East, South and South Central. AMC Burbank outside LA has the best gross in the country with $21K so far. Female leaning at 53%. Women and men over 25 are the leading demos at 34% a piece (note F1 brought in 27% women over 25). 18-34 rep 54% with 25-34 the biggest age demo for the movie at 32%. Caucasian 46%, Latino and Hispanic are 24%, 18% Black, 6% Asian American.
Nancy will have more on international in a bit, and the heat wave that’s going on in Europe (apparently moviegoers there unlike New Yorkers don’t flee to the movie theaters for the A.C.).
Here’s the chart:
1.) F1 (Apple/WB) 3,661 theaters Fri $25M, 3-day $55M/Wk 1
2.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 4,127 (-246) theaters, Fri $5.7M (-47%), 3-day $19M (-48%), Total $199.6M/Wk 3
3.) Elio (Dis) 3,750 theaters, Fri $3.2M (-64%), 3-day $10.8M (-48%), Total $42.3M/Wk 2
4.) M3GAN 2.0. (Uni) 3,112 theaters, Fri $4.5M, 3-day $10.4M/Wk 1
5.) 28 Years Later (Sony) 3,444 theaters, Fri $3M (-79%), 3-day $9.5M (-68%), Total $50.1M/Wk 2
6.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 2,900 (-475) theaters, Fri $2M (-32%), 3-day $6.7M (-31%), Total $399.8M/Wk 6
7.) Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Par) 2,157 (-446) theaters, Fri $1.1M (-38%), 3-day $4M (-38%), Total $185.8M/Wk 6
8.) Materialists (A24) 1,931 (-913) theaters, Fri $946K (-51%), 3-day $2.8M (-52%), Total $30.2M/Wk 3
9.) Ballerina (LG) 1,796 (-741) theaters, Fri $600K, 3-day $2M (-55%), Total $55.3M/Wk 4
10.) Final Destination: Bloodlines (NL) 742 (-600) theaters, Fri $270K (-54%), 3-day $892K (-53%), Total $136.6M/Wk 7
11.) Karate Kid: Legends (Sony) 925 (-1,081) theaters, Fri $265K (-62%), 3-day $875K (-62%), Total $51.4M/Wk 5
FRIDAY AFTERNOON: F1 is accelerating right now to a $55M+ opening at 3,661 theaters with potential for upside. It’s by far the biggest opening ever for an Apple Original Movie on the big screen, miles ahead of Martin Scorsese’s 3-hour, 26-minute Killers of the Flower Moon ($23.2M opening, $68M final domestic). Friday alone for F1 is right around Killers of the Flower Moon‘s 3-day.
Right now, the Jerry Bruckheimer production from director Joseph Kosinski is shaping up to be the second-best opening for Pitt as a leading man after 2013’s World War Z ($66.4M). Talk about a comeback for Apple theatrically. Remember their period NASA rom-com $100M Fly Me to the Moon last summer? Remember the Pitt-George Clooney noir Wolfs? No! What are those? Even if F1 stays idle this weekend at this range, it’s a still a commendable success. Word is international is very strong, which makes all the sense in the world given the international appeal of Formula One racing.
The other beautiful thing about this Apple made, Warner Bros.’ release car is that it pulled the 13-24 demo at 30% last night. That’s very impressive for a movie such as this which appear older skewing.
F1 is seriously warming up its engines, and we’ll be checking its oil throughout the weekend; Warners having worked tirelessly on the marketing and distribution front to make this Apple’s best.
RelishMix reports that F1‘s social media reach is a massive 845.6M across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X and Instagram “+62% above action adventure genre norms with notable late video view growth on Instagram over 400M.” F1‘s reach is right around Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (847.2M) and ahead of Fast X‘s 798M.
Second is Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon at 4,127 locations is looking at at $5.5M today, and a third frame of $18.5M (-49%) for a running cume of $199.1M (C’mon, we gotta get that to $200M this weekend!). The Dean DeBlois directed movie stands as the fifth to cross the double century mark YTD.
Third goes to Disney/Pixar’s Elio which is seeing a second weekend of $11M-$12M, -45%, steeper than Elemental‘s second frame which dipped -38% for an $18.4M second weekend. It’s all about tomorrow, of course. At the high end by the EOD of Sunday, the 28th Pixar feature release stands around $43.4M.
Universal
There’s also Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster’s M3GAN 2.0 at 3,112 theaters is powered down to an opening of $10M, well below where everybody was seeing it (worst case, we thought high teens). Friday is $4.3M. Thank God, she’s cheap at $25M before P&A. We’ll dissect her later.
Speaking of dismemberment, there’s a chance that M3GAN 2.0 could get bitten by zombies as Sony’s Danny Boyle revival 28 Years Later is looking at north of $10M, -67% in weekend 2, after a $3.3M second Friday, for a ten-day running total of $50.6M by EOD Sunday.
FRIDAY AM: Apple Original Films’ F1 via Warner Bros. sped to $10M in total previews from this week while Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster’s M3GAN 2.0 drew $1.5M.
The Joseph Kosinski-directed, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Formula One movie starring Brad Pitt, arguably the first-of-its-kind tentpole for Apple Original Films on the big screen, bested the preview grosses of such expensive Apple movies as Ridley Scott’s Napoleon ($3M), Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($2.6M), Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle ($1.7M) and Greg Berlanti’s Fly Me to the Moon ($875K). F1 also smokes the previews of another car-racing movie, the multi-Oscar-winning, solid-grossing Ford v Ferrari, which is actually a high point for the struggling motor sports genre at the box office — the best that there has been in recent times ($2.1M previews, $31.4M opening).
Broken out, F1 did $7M last night from showtimes that began at 3PM and another $3M from earlier week Imax and PLF previews. Based on early results, and the way the engines have been firing for this film, a $50M+ opening appears likely. Warner Bros. chipped in 50% of the global P&A. Both Apple and Warners recoup the P&A together before the Burbank, CA lot gets a distribution fee around 8%. Production costs per the filmmaker in interviews is $200M (though I constantly get phone calls with the line “But, ya know, it cost $300M…). At the end of the day, get a grip people, F1 stands to open globally to $115M+. The Pitt movie is in great shape with Rotten Tomatoes Audience score of 97% and 84% certified fresh reviews.
M3GAN 2.0‘s previews are less than the original movie which did $2.75M and went on to a surprise $11.7M and $30.4M. M3GAN 2.0 will be lucky to clear $20M, last night’s previews from 2PM showtimes at 2,700 theaters around the level of Blumhouse’s Night Swim which did $1.45M and went on to post a $11.7M opening. No audience score yet. Critics loved the first movie at 93% certified fresh, but they’ve had enough with the robot gimmick at 59% Rotten. No audience score yet on the sequel from the franchise architect Gerard Johnstone. At the end of the day, M3GAN 2.0 is counterprogramming in the summer. The movie cost $25M before P&A versus $12M on the first.
In other news, Lilo & Stitch is crossing $400M this weekend, the second movie to do so this year after Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie.
The rest of the week went down as follows:
1.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) Thu $4M (-15% from Wednesday), Wk $57.1M (-54%), Total $180.6M/Wk 2
2.) 28 Years Later (Sony) Thu $1.9M (-15%), Week $40.6M/Wk 1
3.) Elio (Dis) 3,750 theaters Thu $2.2M (-7%), Wk $31.4M, Wk 1
4.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 3,375 theaters, Thu $1.5M (+1%), Wk $16M (-39%), Total $393.1M, Wk 5
5.) Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Par) 2,603 theaters, Thu $722K (-14%), Wk $10M (-37%), Total $181.8M/Wk 5