Apple has finally scored big at the global box office with F1, a high-octane sports drama that has defied expectations and is racing toward a $500 million milestone. With $293 million already in the bag and a blistering $145 million opening weekend, F1 is now Apple’s most successful original film to date-eclipsing even Ridley Scott’s Napoleon and Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Starring Brad Pitt in one of his most commercially successful roles ever, the film combines sleek storytelling with cutting-edge production, including the use of custom-built gear equipped with iPhone sensors to capture the adrenaline-pumping action. 
While the storyline might be on the simple side, critics and viewers alike are praising the film’s stunning cinematography and immersive sound design.
The project wasn’t cheap. According to The Financial Times, F1 had a production budget of $200 million and a hefty $50 million in distribution costs. Early estimates pegged the total cost closer to $300 million, which means Apple is finally seeing a significant return on its investment after a mixed record in original cinema.
Previous Apple original films like Napoleon ($221M) and Killers of the Flower Moon ($158M) performed reasonably well, but titles like Fly Me to the Moon and Argylle floundered. With F1, Apple seems to have found the perfect formula-big-name talent, groundbreaking visuals, and a global audience hungry for cinematic spectacle.
Though it might take some time before F1 lands on Apple TV+, the film’s theatrical success has already cemented its place as a pivotal moment in Apple’s streaming and cinema ambitions. Whether it hits $500 million or not, one thing’s clear: Apple just lapped the competition.