‘F1’ opens with $55 million, delivering Apple its biggest big-screen hit

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.

“‘F1 The Movie’ puts the pedal to the metal in an impressive overperformance for this original summer movie that had one of the most comprehensive and exciting marketing blitzes in recent memory and it paid off big for the film,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore.

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 of 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.

Like they did 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.

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.”

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.

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.