Brad Pitt's F1 Movie Breaks Records with $144M Global Debut
With its strong opening weekend, 'F1' has proven to be a milestone for Apple Original Films, and its success is expected to have a lasting impact on the company's future film productions, as it continues to perform well at the box office and attract new audiences to the world of Formula One racing.
Brad Pitt's 'F1' racing drama has achieved a remarkable global opening of $144 million, with $55.6 million coming from the US domestic weekend and $88.4 million from international markets, marking a new career best for the actor and Apple's first box office hit.
The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, follows Pitt as a retired Formula One driver who returns to the sport to coach a rookie driver, and has received positive reviews and an "A" grade on CinemaScore exit polls. The movie's success is a significant milestone for Apple, which has struggled to produce a commercially successful movie, with previous efforts such as Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" and Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" underperforming at the box office.
The film's success can be attributed to its well-received marketing campaign, which included a globe-spanning press tour and unique promotional efforts, such as placing the trailer on the home screen of Apple's streaming service and enabling iPhone push notifications for the movie. The movie's IMAX format was also a major draw for viewers, with 23% of North American ticket sales coming from the format.
The success of 'F1' is expected to continue, particularly with the 4th of July holiday approaching, and has already generated more revenue than the entire theatrical run of some of Apple's previous films, including "Killers of the Flower Moon" and will soon outpace "Napoleon" as Apple's highest-grossing movie.