F1 box office collection: Brad Pitt's racing drama scores $55.6 million in its opening weekend

F1 box office collection: Joseph Kosinski's big-budget racing drama starring Brad Pitt has marked the first commercial hit for Apple.

F1 box office collection: Brad Pitt's racing drama F1 was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. How did the Joseph Kosinski film fare at the box office in the US during its opening weekend? The big-budget drama opened to positive reviews from fans and critics, and as per the latest report by Variety, scored $55.6 million in its domestic opening weekend. (Also read: Hansal Mehta reviews Brad Pitt's F1: Calls it ‘same drug, different packaging’ that wasted Javier Bardem)

F1 box office update

F1 box office collection: Brad Pitt's racing drama has won over the audience in its opening weekend.

The report stated that F1 landed well within expectations, which were projected to fall between $50 million and $60 million. Given F1 is not part of an existing franchise, the opening weekend figures are especially favourable. But the film still has to stay steady over the first week to break even on its $250 million budget. Additionally, the film has made $88.4 million from the international box office, opening at 78 markets.

First hit for Apple

F1 has now marked the first commercial success for Apple. The tech giant had previously backed films like Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon- both of which underperformed at the box office. In a statement, Apple’s head of worldwide video, Jamie Erlicht, said, "We’re thrilled by the global response to F1 and grateful to the audiences who’ve embraced the film with such enthusiasm. This success is a testament to the vision of Joe, Jerry [Bruckheimer], Brad, and [F1 champion] Lewis [Hamilton], along with the efforts of the entire cast and crew. Together with Formula 1, they’ve created an inspiring cinematic journey that captures the energy and spirit of the sport.”