{"id":33165,"date":"2025-07-05T04:37:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T04:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/?p=33165"},"modified":"2025-07-05T04:37:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T04:37:58","slug":"apple-races-to-box-office-glory-with-brad-pitts-f1-blockbuster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/?p=33165","title":{"rendered":"Apple races to box office glory with Brad Pitt\u2019s F1 blockbuster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> \n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Unlock the Editor\u2019s Digest for free<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__content-sign-up-topic-description o3-type-body-base\"><span>Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"article__content-sign-up-iframe close\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"signUpIframe\" data-prev-url=\"\/register\/in-article-sign-up?ft-content-uuid=fe5a2104-e56f-48a7-9aab-a61f413f780a\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p>More than three years since Apple\u2019s film <em>CODA<\/em>\u00a0won the best picture Oscar, the tech company has hit another Hollywood milestone: its first summer blockbuster.<\/p>\n<p><em>F1<\/em>, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, has taken in more than $200mn at the global box office since it opened on June 27 and is expected to pass $300mn this weekend. \u201cThis is a movie that will run and run and run,\u201d said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief at\u00a0Warner Bros, Apple\u2019s partner on the film. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of gas left in the tank.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It gave Pitt the best opening weekend\u00a0in his 37-year acting career and is by far Apple\u2019s best box office showing. By pairing Jerry Bruckheimer \u2014 the producer behind hits <em>Top Gun<\/em> and <em>Beverly Hills Cop \u2014 <\/em>and Joseph Kosinski, the director of <em>Top Gun: Maverick<\/em>, Apple showed it was serious about filling cinema seats this summer.<\/p>\n<p>Apple is also nearing another potential milestone: making money from a big-budget movie. <em>F1<\/em>, co-produced by Pitt\u2019s Plan B Entertainment (now controlled by French media group Mediawan) and Jerry Bruckheimer Films, had a production budget of more than $200mn, and distribution costs are estimated at more than $50mn.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s decision to release the film as a premium on-demand video before it moves to the Apple TV+ streaming service should bring in additional revenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith F1, they were looking for something very commercial,\u201d said a person close to the studio. \u201cThis has proved that they can do theatrical [releases].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Apple had a lot to prove on that point. In 2023, chief executive Tim Cook travelled to Cannes for the premiere of Martin Scorsese\u2019s <em>Killers of the Flower Moon <\/em>before it was rolled out to more than 3,600 cinemas in the US and thousands more worldwide. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"n-content-image n-content-image--full\" data-component=\"image-set\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 700px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A6f534e34-61d1-4852-b96b-198881c3095b?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=1 1x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A6f534e34-61d1-4852-b96b-198881c3095b?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=2 2x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A6f534e34-61d1-4852-b96b-198881c3095b?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=3 3x\" width=\"2288\" height=\"1526\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 490px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A0365e0bc-ebe3-4eed-a384-20937ad0d04e?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=490&amp;dpr=1 1x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A0365e0bc-ebe3-4eed-a384-20937ad0d04e?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=490&amp;dpr=2 2x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A0365e0bc-ebe3-4eed-a384-20937ad0d04e?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=490&amp;dpr=3 3x\" width=\"1526\" height=\"1526\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"n-content-picture__caption o3-editorial-typography-caption\"><span>Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon<\/span><span> <!-- -->\u00a9 Apple TV+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With a budget of more than $200mn, <em>Killers<\/em> seemed to be a statement of Apple\u2019s intent in the movie business \u2014\u00a0but it generated only about $160mn in gross box office receipts worldwide. It was followed by two other big-budget releases, <em>Argylle and <\/em>Ridley Scott\u2019s <em>Napoleon<\/em>. Both were considered commercial disappointments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The performance of those films compounded questions in Hollywood about whether Apple could become a major producer of blockbuster films and streaming shows. Some wondered why it had not bought a Hollywood studio to build up the scale of Apple TV+. As with Amazon, it is viewed by Hollywood studios as something of an outsider, thanks to a corporate culture that remains firmly rooted in tech.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But with the release of <em>F1<\/em>, it has followed more Hollywood conventions than in the past. It made Cook and other executives available for a small number of pre-release interviews \u2014 the kind of publicity push that is typical for traditional studios but has not previously been employed by Apple. \u201cI think this is a step forward for them in terms of how they want to live in this world,\u201d said an executive at a traditional studio.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Apple also leaned heavily on its technology and platforms with <em>F1<\/em>, using iPhone camera tech in real race cars to film high-resolution footage. To encourage people to come and see the film, it\u00a0offered ticket discounts through Apple Pay and there were special appearances by Cook and Pitt at its flagship retail store in New York.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"n-content-image n-content-image--full\" data-component=\"image-set\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 700px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A5ff421ac-540c-48c1-a9b3-8abcfcf653a9?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=1 1x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A5ff421ac-540c-48c1-a9b3-8abcfcf653a9?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=2 2x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A5ff421ac-540c-48c1-a9b3-8abcfcf653a9?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=3 3x\" width=\"2103\" height=\"1402\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 490px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A9e4f6300-67ca-4aa7-803e-7bb5830008c7?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=490&amp;dpr=1 1x,https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/ftcms%3A9e4f6300-67ca-4aa7-803e-7bb5830008c7?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=490&amp;dpr=2 2x\" width=\"1402\" height=\"1402\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/__origami\/service\/image\/v2\/images\/raw\/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F5ff421ac-540c-48c1-a9b3-8abcfcf653a9.jpg?source=next-article&amp;fit=scale-down&amp;quality=highest&amp;width=700&amp;dpr=1\" alt=\"Ridley Scott\u2019s Napoleon was a commercial disappointment\" data-image-type=\"image\" width=\"2103\" height=\"1402\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"n-content-picture__caption o3-editorial-typography-caption\"><span>Ridley Scott\u2019s Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix\u200b as Bonaparte, was a commercial disappointment<\/span><span> <!-- -->\u00a9 Aidan Monaghan\/Apple TV+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Movie producers describe Apple as aiming for the \u201celevated mainstream\u201d but dismiss the idea that it only has art house aspirations. The company also appears to be picking up the pace of releases. Spike Lee\u2019s <em>Highest 2 Lowest <\/em>\u2014 a collaboration with indie film studio A24 \u2014\u00a0will be in cinemas from August 15 and on Apple TV+ from September 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Apple is also working on <em>Matchbox<\/em>, a live-action feature based on Mattel\u2019s toy car brand and starring John Cena. <em>Matchbox<\/em> is the first of what is expected to be a number of films based on Mattel products following the massive success of <em>Barbie<\/em> for Warner Bros.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kosinski and Bruckheimer are working together on another as-yet untitled project for Apple. And it is developing <em>Mayday<\/em>, an adventure film starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>F1<\/em> was clearly a step up in its ambitions to create a box office winner, but the movie did not have the easiest of starts: production ground to a halt after a few weeks because of Hollywood strikes in 2023. Restarting the film added extra costs: it was shot on location at racetracks in the UK, US and Abu Dhabi during F1 practice races.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with the success of the film, Apple may have the potential for sequels and its first franchise, said a person close to the studio. Just as importantly, it is expected to increase subscriber numbers on the Apple streaming platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[<em>F1<\/em>] really validates what Apple\u2019s doing,\u201d said Kevin Walsh, whose production company has made several films with Apple, including <em>Napoleon<\/em> and <em>Echo Valley<\/em>. \u201cThey\u2019re in the business to stay and are ready to expand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/fe5a2104-e56f-48a7-9aab-a61f413f780a\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Unlock the Editor\u2019s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":33166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tech","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}