Apple Original Films has made a significant splash at the box office with its latest release, the highly anticipated Formula One movie directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Starring the charismatic Brad Pitt, the film has garnered a total of $10 million in preview earnings, overshadowing previous high-profile releases from the studio.
This remarkable figure surpasses the preview grosses of other expensive Apple films, including Ridley Scott’s Napoleon ($3 million), Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($2.6 million), Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle ($1.7 million), and Greg Berlanti’s Fly Me to the Moon ($875,000). Additionally, F1 outperformed the preview earnings of the critically acclaimed Ford v Ferrari, which previously set a benchmark for car-racing films with $2.1 million in previews and a total opening of $31.4 million.
The breakdown of F1's earnings reveals $7 million generated from showtimes that began at 3 PM and an additional $3 million from earlier IMAX and PLF previews. Given the strong early results, industry experts predict that the film could achieve an impressive opening weekend of over $50 million.
Warner Bros. contributed 50% of the global print and advertising costs, and both Apple and Warner Bros. will recoup these expenses before the Burbank, CA studio takes a distribution fee of approximately 8%. The production costs for F1 have been reported to be around $200 million, although there are speculations suggesting that the figure could be as high as $300 million. Ultimately, projections indicate that the film could open globally with earnings exceeding $115 million.
In terms of critical reception, F1 has secured a remarkable Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 97% and an impressive 84% certified fresh rating from critics, showcasing its positive reception among viewers and film critics alike.
In contrast, M3GAN 2.0, the sequel to the original hit, had a disappointingly lower preview gross of $1.5 million, significantly less than the original film, which earned $2.75 million and went on to achieve $11.7 million in its opening weekend. Current projections suggest that M3GAN 2.0 may struggle to surpass the $20 million mark.
The previews for M3GAN 2.0 came from 2,700 theaters, and its performance is comparable to Blumhouse’s recent release, Night Swim, which opened with $1.45 million and later posted an $11.7 million opening. Critics have expressed mixed feelings about the sequel, with the first film receiving a 93% certified fresh rating, while the sequel currently holds a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
M3GAN 2.0 had a production budget of $25 million before print and advertising costs, compared to $12 million for its predecessor. As counterprogramming in the summer movie season, it remains to be seen how audiences will respond to this sequel.
In other box office news, Disney's Lilo & Stitch has crossed the $400 million milestone this weekend, becoming the second film to achieve this feat in 2023, following Warner Bros./Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie.
Here's a summary of the weekly box office results:
How to Train Your Dragon (Universal) - Thursday: $4 million (-15% from Wednesday), Week: $57.1 million (-54%), Total: $180.6 million (Week 2)28 Years Later (Sony) - Thursday: $1.9 million (-15%), Week: $40.6 million (Week 1)Elio (Disney) - Thursday: $2.2 million (-7%), Week: $31.4 million (Week 1)Lilo & Stitch (Disney) - Thursday: $1.5 million (+1%), Week: $16 million (-39%), Total: $393.1 million (Week 5)Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Paramount) - Thursday: $722,000 (-14%), Week: $10 million (-37%), Total: $181.8 million (Week 5)These figures highlight the competitive nature of the current box office landscape, with both Apple Original Films and other studios vying for audience attention and ticket sales amidst a variety of genres.
