Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie: Will It Win the Box Office Race?
Brad Pitt’s new racing film, F1: The Movie, is roaring into theaters very soon. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, whose last big hit was Top Gun: Maverick, F1 could be the one summer blockbuster that doesn’t involve dinosaurs, superheroes, monsters, time travel, or all three. Who would have thought a movie about racing would feel like the most grounded and refreshing blockbuster of the season?
Box Office Predictions and the Uncertain Road Ahead
That said, it’s very unclear how well F1 will actually do at the box office. Moviegoers are very unpredictable at the moment; Pixar’s latest, Elio, has flopped at the box office, while even the excellent and well-reviewed Marvel opus, Thunderbolts*, underperformed. So, how much money will F1 really make?
Initial Projections and Budget Reality
It depends on who you ask. According to Variety, some guesses say the movie could net as much as $60 million during its opening weekend. Others suggest it will be closer to $30 million.
Right now, the movie has a $200 million budget, which makes the prospect of it earning back that budget seem daunting.
The Apple Factor: A Theatrical Dark Horse?
Then again, because the movie is partly produced by Apple, does it matter that much? As of this writing, there are plenty of Apple TV+ TV shows that surely are not as widely watched as the breakout hits like Severance and Ted Lasso. Could F1 be the theatrical version of a dark horse Apple show? (Like Your Friends & Neighbors or For All Mankind?)
The Verdict Approaches
The weekend is coming, and we shall see. The people either really want to see Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, or they don’t.
