Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Surpasses Other Major Releases Worldwide

Joseph Kosinski’s “F1: The Movie” has surpassed all others as Apple’s most profitable film at the box office.

Breaking the previous record set by Napoleon, it raked in an impressive $293 million globally during its first 10 days following its release in late June.

In a statement given to Variety, Apple affirmed that “F1 has earned $293 million at the global box office in just 10 days of release. This surpasses the total box office collections of Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ ($158 million worldwide) and Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ ($221 million), making it Apple’s most successful film to date.

Apple’s cinematic arm, having screened just five movies in theaters so far, is experiencing a significant milestone as “F1,” its racing drama, emerges as a clear box office hit. This achievement signals a pivotal moment in Apple’s aspirations to make an impact in the world of filmmaking.

The film narrates the story of an ex-Formula One driver (portrayed by Brad Pitt), who decides to return from retirement, to mentor a newcomer and revive a floundering racing team.

Its production budget exceeded $250 million and marketing costs were around $100 million.

Prior to F1, Apple’s forays into theatrical productions encompassed financial flops like “Fly Me to the Moon” ($42 million) and “Argylle” ($96 million), along with critically applauded but commercially underperforming films such as Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Scott’s “Napoleon”.

Apple’s past ventures into the world of cinema didn’t quite hit the bullseye, sparking whispers that the tech giant might consider changing direction and delving deeper into television. Interestingly, they have already tasted success in this field with shows like “Severance” and “Ted Lasso” on AppleTV+.

The domestic debut of the film raked in $57 million, while it earned a staggering $146 million globally over its first weekend, setting a new record for the highest opening weekend earnings for any Apple movie to date.

Joseph Kosinski, famously involved with “Top Gun: Maverick,” filmed the movie utilizing cutting-edge IMAX cameras directly on a real Formula One racetrack, enhancing its allure.

Worldwide, IMAX showings of the movie account for over 20% of its overall earnings at the box office, with a gross income of approximately $60 million from these screenings alone.

Globally, F1 has seen significant success in various countries such as China (earning $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).

10 Huge Movies That Didn’t Last a Month in Theaters

Heaven’s Gate (1980)

In the world of cinema, the name Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate” is often whispered among those in the know. This ambitious Western film, set against a land dispute in 1890s Wyoming, was supposed to be an epic masterpiece. However, its production became legendary for all the wrong reasons – from allegations of animal cruelty to stories about Cimino’s authoritarian directing style. Despite the grandeur of his vision and the hefty price tag it carried, the movie ended up costing four times its original budget. The initial reviews were disastrous, causing the distributor to withdraw the film from cinemas after only a week of limited release. Six months later, they released a shortened version, which was even more poorly received. Critics often point to this failure as the end of director-led production in America, with studios taking control instead. Yet, due to its high-profile collapse, “Heaven’s Gate” has sparked reevaluation by critics over the years, some even calling it one of the great American films today.

The Watcher in the Woods (1980)

In its century of production, Disney is known for maintaining a family-friendly approach, even in movies aimed at adults. However, it has only produced one horror film to date, and the response to this movie reportedly discouraged Disney from attempting another horror production. Despite this, it remains one of Disney’s more intriguing productions.

The film, titled “The Watcher in the Woods,” revolves around two sisters who are investigating the disappearance of a girl from an English countryside home they have recently moved into. The story is based on the novel by Florence Engel Randall and features Bette Davis in a supporting role during her late career. The movie was screened for only ten days before being withdrawn due to harsh criticism from both critics and audiences, with subsequent attempts at re-cutting and re-releasing also failing.

Revolution (1985)

The historical drama film titled “Revolution,” set against the backdrop of the American Revolutionary War (a warning sign for many), nearly pushed Al Pacino out of acting. Following its disastrous premiere, he took a break from acting and re-emerged four years later with the thriller “Sea of Love.” In this film, Pacino portrays a fur trapper from New York colony who unintentionally finds himself caught up in the Revolutionary struggle against the British. Critics universally panned the movie, with Pauline Kael describing it as “so bad that it leaves you in a state of shock.” Its release in New York was delayed and ultimately flopped at the box office, barely recovering the $28 million production cost.

The film “Revolution,” which is about the American Revolutionary War, almost ended Al Pacino’s acting career. He returned to acting four years later with the thriller “Sea of Love” after the movie’s poor reception. In “Revolution,” Pacino plays a fur trapper from New York who unwittingly joins the struggle for independence against the British. The film was heavily criticized, and Pauline Kael called it “so bad that it leaves you in disbelief.” Its release in New York was postponed, and it ended up being a significant box office failure, only recovering a small fraction of its $28 million budget.

It’s Pat (1994)

The humor of Julia Sweeney’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ character Pat lies in the fact that their gender remains a mystery despite others’ attempts to uncover it. While this works well for a sketch, it was less successful when expanded into a feature film. Regrettably, Sweeney and her co-stars discovered this firsthand while trying to create a full movie about the enigmatic character. ‘It’s Pat’ follows Pat’s engagement to another gender-ambiguous individual named Chris, and their neighbor Kyle, who becomes excessively fixated on determining Pat’s true identity. The band Ween also appears in the film for an unexplained reason. Unfortunately, it is generally considered one of the worst ‘SNL’ movies, had a limited release in only three cities prior to its home video release, and underperformed as expected.

From Justin to Kelly (2003)

The first-ever winners of ‘American Idol’, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, were bound by contract to star in the romantic musical comedy ‘From Justin to Kelly’. Unfortunately, this movie is often regarded as one of the worst films ever made. When a waitress from small-town Texas visits Ft. Lauderdale for spring break, she connects with a college student and party organizer, but various friends and beach town antics continually disrupt their budding romance. The film also includes songs.

After reading the script, Clarkson begged the studio to release her from her contract, and thankfully, ‘American Idol’ never attempted anything like it again.

Gigli (2003)

The film Gigli, directed by Martin Brest and starring two highly popular actors whose off-screen relationship generated significant buzz, seemed destined for success. However, as we can now attest, the movie turned out to be dismal. It was pulled from cinemas after only three weeks due to a massive drop in ticket sales that set a record at the time for the biggest second-weekend decline in U.S. box office history. Following this, Brest, who never directed another film, claimed that disputes with the studio led to forced reshoots and edits he disapproved of. Gigli remains his only unsuccessful project, a movie he later referred to as a “grisly corpse.

Delgo (2008)

In a space opera featuring a celebrated cast, Delgo, a film that had garnered praise at Anima Mundi, Brazil’s film festival, seemed destined for success in the world of animated entertainment. However, its disappointing quality and minimal promotion led to an opening weekend box office performance that was then record-breaking, playing across more than 2,000 screens. This record would later be surpassed by The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, another film from the same studio. Delgo, a story revolving around a conflict between two species fighting over the same planet and the romantic entanglement of characters from opposing sides, was criticized as a haphazard mix of other, more successful films. It was withdrawn from cinemas after only a week due to poor reception.

Jem and the Holograms (2015)

Prior to John M. Chu’s successful direction of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Wicked’, he helmed the 2015 adaptation of the 1980s TV cartoon ‘Jem and the Holograms’. Unfortunately, this project did not resonate as much with audiences as his more recent works. The reasons might have been due to a less-than-impressive cast, an attempt to update the show’s distinctly ’80s style for contemporary times, a seemingly lackluster storyline, or perhaps a mix of these elements. Critics found it hard to compare favorably with the highly acclaimed TV cartoon adaptation ‘Josie and the Pussycats’, and the film was withdrawn from cinemas after merely two weeks.

A Cure for Wellness (2016)

The dark, slow-moving horror film titled “A Cure for Wellness” drew inspiration from a century-old German novel about a health spa. However, much like its narrative, it didn’t fare well at the box office. Despite being directed by Gore Verbinski, known for hit movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Ring“, and featuring numerous eerie eel scenes, it failed to captivate audiences as 20th Century Fox had anticipated. In its opening weekend, it fell short of its projected earnings, and by the second week, its earnings dropped to over $1 million, leading to its removal from almost all theaters where it was being widely released.

The Disappointments Room (2016)

Reflecting on it now, it’s clear that a film titled “The Disappointments Room” was bound to fall short of expectations. Directed by D.J. Caruso and co-written by Wentworth Miller from “Prison Break,” the movie features Kate Beckinsale as an architect who relocates with her family into a dilapidated mansion concealing a sinister secret room, once used to confine the previous residents’ daughter. Unfortunately, the film was finished over two years before its release — typically not a positive sign — and got entangled in Relativity Media’s schedule adjustments following their bankruptcy filing. When it eventually hit theaters, its rapid decline in box office earnings during the second and third weekends led to its withdrawal from all but 36 cinemas, surpassing the previous record for a theatrical pull-off, previously held by “Gigli.

2025-07-10 22:00