Brad Pitt’s automotive drama F1 rocketed to first place in its U.K.–Ireland launch with an estimated £7 million ($9.7 million) across more than 300 locations, unseating Disney’s Inside Out 2 after just one week at the summit. Warner Bros. executives said 28 percent of the take came from IMAX and other premium screens, continuing a format mix that has lifted the picture worldwide.
The strong British–Irish start follows a $55.6 million North-American bow and $88.4 million from 77 overseas markets, driving the film’s global three-day total to $144 million—Pitt’s biggest opening and the best ever for an Apple Original title. Box Office Pro notes that the result outpaces early tracking and positions the sports thriller for a five-day domestic haul north of $60 million as the U.S. holiday corridor unfolds.
Directed by Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski, the $200 million production was financed by Apple and produced with Jerry Bruckheimer and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who advised on racing authenticity and arranged mid-season filming at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.
Pitt plays retired driver Sonny Hayes opposite Damson Idris’s rookie phenom; real-world F1 teams provided chassis dressed in fictitious APXGP livery that now tour cinema lobbies alongside the film’s Dolby Cinema campaign.
Analysts credit the result to a 12-month marketing build that combined trailer premieres at grands prix, an Apple Pay ticket rebate and influencer laps in prototype race cars, helping F1 surpass pre-sale levels of Pitt’s Bullet Train and motorsport hit Ford v Ferrari.
Yet observers caution the picture will need repeat business: with a reported break-even point near $500 million, its staying power in markets without a strong Formula One following will be tested once Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth claims premium screens mid-July. Apple plans a traditional 45-day theatrical window before steering the film to TV+, where executives hope fresh subscriber offers timed to the Italian Grand Prix will extend its revenue run.
