Apple has its first hit movie. F1 starring Bad Pitt reportedly took in $293 million in ticket sales since it hit theaters on June 27. That puts it well ahead of its predecessors from Apple Original Films.
The film blends blazing-fast cars on the racetrack with clashing personalities off the track. Brad Pitt plays an aging racer trying to prove he still has what it takes to be a Formula 1 driver, with the action playing out at 230 mph.
F1: Apple’s first blockbuster movie
Apple negotiated for months to ink a deal for the rights to the blockbuster, which is distributed in theaters by Warner Bros. It’s a risk that’s paying off. The film garnered $293 million in ticket sales during its first 10 days in theaters, according to Variety. This is a turnaround for Apple Original Films, which has never before had a massive hit.
Previously, its best performers were Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, which took in $221 million worldwide, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which took in $158 million. And Apple Original Films released a couple of flops in 2024: Argylle took in $96 million while Fly Me to the Moon got a mere $42 million in ticket sales, reports Variety.
And some productions were expected to do so poorly they never reached theaters. There’s no better example than Wolfs starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Last summer, it went straight to the Apple TV+ streaming service after Apple decided at the last minute not to put the film in theaters. It didn’t make a big splash.
To be clear, some Apple productions have earned plenty of awards. CODA got the Best Picture Oscar and plenty more, for example, but it took in a minuscule $2 million at the box office.
Apple took a risk on F1, but it’s a safe bet for theatergoers. The film has an 83% critics’ approval rating on the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, and 97% audience approval. It’s the No. 2 most popular movie worldwide, according to Comscore.
Get ready for Brad Pitt in blazing-fast racing action in F1
In the F1 movie, Brad Pitt is Sonny Hayes, who was a Formula 1 driver in the 1990s before his career got sidelined after a crash, earning him the nickname “the greatest that never was.” Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (played by Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling Formula 1 team. Sonny gets hired to save the team… and take another shot at being the best in the world.
But there’s more to winning in Formula 1 than driving. Sonny faces off against the team’s hotshot rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). The competition between the two is the centerpiece of F1.
Plus, the film is visually stunning, especially as it was filmed during actual races and is “immersed in the exhilarating and cinematic world of F1,” according to Warner Bros.
In a way, it’s art imitating life. The movie’s plot mirrors real life in that it gives Brad Pitt, at 61 years old, a chance to prove that he still has what it takes to headline a major success.
Apple’s F1 movie now in theaters
F1 hit theaters on Friday, June 27. It’ll surely reach the Apple TV+ streaming service months later.
That said, much of the excitement of the racing sequences will be lost on a small screen. This seems the sort of movie that needs a giant theater screen to fully appreciate.