Warner Bros. Pictures
Apple’s flashy “F1” movie took first place at the box office this weekend, and it had a secret weapon: Imax.
The much-hyped racing film starring Brad Pitt exceeded expectations with a $144 million global debut, including a $55.6 million showing in the US. That’s well beyond the $115 million it was forecast to rake in, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“F1” was boosted by Imax, which said on Monday that its premium screens generated $28 million for the film, or 19% of its worldwide box-office total. That’s the fourth-highest share of global sales ever in a debut, behind only “Dune,” “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” and “Oppenheimer,” an Imax spokesperson told Business Insider.
US movie-goers were especially likely to pay up for the premium Imax experience. Twenty-three percent of the domestic box office for “F1” was from those who paid to see Pitt in Imax’s expanded aspect ratio. That’s a similar share to what “Sinners” and “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” made from Imax earlier this year.
Imax tickets cost significantly more than the typical stub. The going rate for an Imax ticket in early 2025 was $19.51, according to data from research firm EntTelligence cited by The Hollywood Reporter, which also found that the average US movie ticket was $13.82.
Similarly, BI found it can cost a whopping $31 to see “F1” in Imax in New York City.
Apple
Apple is surely thrilled to see such a strong start for “F1” — its first major theatrical hit — no matter how it happened.
But it may be too soon to say the Silicon Valley titan has figured out Hollywood. Its strategy of big-budget films with A-list talent hasn’t exactly been a resounding success at the box office, as big bets like “Argylle” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” underwhelmed.
If Apple needs a legendary Imax run for its theatrical movie strategy to make sense, it may be hard to build on.
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