Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1

30 Jun 2025

Looks like Apple has its first bona fide box office hit.

The company has already produced critically acclaimed and award-winning films for Apple TV+. In fact, while Netflix has reportedly spent millions on its Oscar campaigns, Apple’s “Coda” remains the only movie produced by a streaming service to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

It has, however, been a different story at the box office — at best, returns have fallen short of ambitious budgets, and with “Argylle,” the company had a spectacular flop. Last year, Apple reportedly decided to scale back on both budgets and theatrical releases, leading to canceled projects and criticism from directors.

Things have finally turned around with “F1” — currently the No. 1 movie in theaters, on track to earn $55.6 million this weekend at the domestic box office. With $144 million in global ticket sales, “F1” will soon surpass “Napoleon” ($228 million) as Apple’s highest-grossing film.

“F1” director Joseph Kosinski previously helmed “Top Gun: Maverick,” and in many ways, the new movie sounds like a loose copy of the “Maverick” formula, combining realistic, you-are-there cinematography (Brad Pitt is really driving those cars!) with a familiar narrative about an older veteran forced to work with a young upstart who needs to learn a thing or two about old-fashioned, analog grit.