Outpacing all of Apple’s previous tentpole film releases, F1: The Movie is on track to become the studio’s biggest hit. The breakout success is unprecedented, considering the tech giant’s string of box office disappointments.
Apple’s F1: The Movie has grossed $293 million after ten days of screening, overtaking its $250 million production budget. Per Variety, the film is still in the red if its $100 million marketing spend is considered. That win improves Apple Studio’s batting average, at least; with five theatrical films released to date, only two come close to F1‘s success. Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon grossed $158 million and $221 million globally at the end of their run, while Fly Me to the Moon and Argylle were commercial flops, earning only $42 million and $96 million.
If anything, F1 bolsters Apple’s push to make more big-budget movies. Napoleon was a huge risk that did not pay off (it barely earned back its reported $200 million budget). It’s yet to be confirmed if F1 can go the distance after Superman lands in a few days, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is also coming in a few weeks. Thankfully, F1 is embraced by audiences and critics; the film is overwhelmingly praised for its straightforward story and intense action sequences. Its spectacle is also best experienced on the largest screens; IMAX theaters have so far raked in 20.4% ($60 million) of F1‘s total global earnings.
F1 Boasts Impressive Action Scenes, Just Like Top Gun: Maverick
Created by the same team that made Top Gun: Maverick, F1 emulates the story beats and aesthetic of Tom Cruise’s action epic. That film earned almost $1.5 billion against its $177 million budget, however, eclipsing F1‘s box office prospects. Brad Pitt acknowledged the rivalry but remains unfazed, and fans who’ve seen the film were not disappointed; Pitt and co-star Damson Idris performed all of their racing stunts, adding to the realism of the sequences. The film also captured the thrill of the sport as it stayed faithful to the science behind it.
Parts of F1 were filmed during the 2023 racing season, and Pitt confirmed it was a humbling experience. They shot many of the scenes on race weekends and during ongoing events. «We were on hallowed ground,» he told Top Gear. «It was very humbling, stepping into a sport that is so revered and treated like religion. We just wanted to make sure we didn’t get in anyone’s way, where we could tell our story and while they focused on what they needed to do.»
Executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer said it was also surreal to see Pitt and Idris on the track, lining up alongside real Formula 1 drivers. «When there’s a huge crowd watching our actors and our cars lined up with all of the great drivers and great teams of F1, it sends a chill down your spine,» he asserted. «It was really something special.» Director Joseph Kosinski has since pushed for Tom Cruise to appear in the sequel, in an F1 and Days of Thunder crossover.
F1: The Movie is showing in theaters.
