Apple Studios’ F1, led by Brad Pitt, is all set to arrive in theatres globally on June 27. With an estimated budget of nearly $200 million, the upcoming Joseph Kosinski film is one of the most expensive movies under the Apple banner. And despite strong early reviews, F1 is currently walking a very thin line.
Early projections for F1 indicate that the movie could earn $30–40 million domestically (U.S. and Canada) during its opening weekend. It is set to launch directly against M3GAN 2.0, which is also expected to generate $30 million or more during its three-day debut. This means F1 will go head-to-head with M3GAN 2.0 on June 27.
While box office clashes between two major films have become a celebration among cinema-goers in recent years—thanks to the Barbenheimer phenomenon—this upcoming battle between F1 and M3GAN 2.0 doesn’t bode well for the former.
F1 has received fantastic early reactions. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently holds a ‘Fresh’ score of 85%, based on 59 certified reviews.
However, Formula 1 doesn’t have a particularly strong fan base in the United States, which seems to be one of the primary reasons why the Brad Pitt starrer is showing underwhelming early box office projections.
F1 faces tough odds at the box office, as Jurassic World: Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson, is set to debut on July 2 in the U.S. (July 4 in India). Soon after, the highly anticipated Superman, starring David Corenswet and directed by James Gunn, is slated for a global release on July 11. Following that, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theatres worldwide on July 25.
This means the odds of F1 becoming a blockbuster on the scale of Kosinski’s last hit, Top Gun: Maverick, are slim. The film may even arrive on Apple TV+ for streaming sooner than expected. Even then, F1 will likely struggle to break even. Stay tuned for more updates.
F1 could potentially perform well in India, considering the film’s strong current buzz and Brad Pitt’s popularity. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning recently grossed over INR 100 crore in the country. Let’s see how Pitt’s upcoming project fares in India. Stay tuned for more updates.