No matter your opinions on Apple’s prominent advertising strategies, they seem to be yielding results. The F1 film is projected to earn about $145 million during its opening weekend at the box office, with $55.6 million coming from domestic sales.
This clearly surpasses any previous theatrical releases from Apple Original Films, positioning the movie to likely exceed the total box office earnings of all preceding Apple films combined.
Apple typically releases most of its original films in limited showings primarily to attract press coverage and qualify for awards. However, it has more recently ventured into genuine global theatrical releases, screening in thousands of locations worldwide.
Here’s how its prior significant box office attempts performed:
The F1 film dwarfs these earlier efforts. It is debuting with a $145 million opening, already more than double its previous record with Napoleon (which benefited from an extended five-day holiday release during Thanksgiving, with the comparative three-day estimate around $67 million).
Not only are initial ticket sales strong, but audiences are leaving screenings of F1 quite satisfied, which usually leads to robust word-of-mouth promotion in the following weeks. The film is also regarded as one that should be seen on the largest screen possible, increasing demand for pricier IMAX tickets.
Given this impressive start, industry analysts now predict a worldwide gross box office total in the range of $500 to $600 million. If it surpasses $517 million, it would surpass the combined earnings of all four prior theatrical Apple Original films.
Apple’s future plans regarding theatrical releases remain uncertain. The company’s setbacks with Argylle and Fly Me to the Moon appeared to unsettle executives, leading to a last-minute decision to pull the worldwide launch of Wolfs. Although several original films are currently in production, none have been assigned theatrical release dates, indicating they may be intended solely for streaming.
However, there is a slight ray of hope as F1’s director, Joseph Kosinski, has reportedly sold his next major film project about the political management of UFO public disclosure to Apple. The agreement allegedly includes a commitment to a broad theatrical release. Still, plans might alter, and this new film is years away from its premiere.
