Joseph Kosinski’s F1: The Movie has raced ahead to become Apple’s highest-grossing theatrical release.
Beating the precious record holder, Napoleon, it generated $293 million worldwide within just 10 days of its late June debut.
Apple confirmed in a statement to Variety: “F1 has generated $293 million at the global box office after 10 days of release, overtaking the entire theatrical runs of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($158 million worldwide) and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon ($221 million) to stand as Apple’s highest-grossing movie to date.”
Apple’s film division, which has released only five films theatrically, now has a clear box office success with F1, a racing drama that now marks a turning point for the tech giant’s cinema ambitions.
The movie follows a has-been Formula One driver, played by Brad Pitt, who comes out of retirement to coach a rookie and rescue a struggling team.
Its production budget exceeded $250 million and marketing costs were around $100 million.
Before F1, Apple’s theatrical ventures included Fly Me to the Moon ($42 million) and Argylle ($96 million), both financial disappointments, as well as critically acclaimed but commercially modest films such as Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Scott’s Napoleon.
Apple’s earlier box office attempts failed to meet the mark, leading to speculation the company might shift focus towards television, where it has found success with AppleTV+ shows such as Severance and Ted Lasso.
The film opened domestically with $57 million and $146 million worldwide during its opening weekend, the largest ever for an Apple movie.
Joseph Kosinski, also known for being behind Top Gun: Maverick, shot the film using immersive IMAX cameras along the actual Formula One circuit, contributing to its appeal.
IMAX screenings of the film alone have brought in $60 million globally, making up more than 20% of the film’s total box office revenue.
Internationally, F1 has been particularly successful in China (bringing in $22 million at the box office), the United Kingdom ($17.3 million), Mexico ($12.3 million), France ($11.5 million), and Australia ($9.8 million.)
