‘F1 The Movie’ races to $55.6 million opening weekend

LOS ANGELES – “F1 The Movie” is leaving its competition in the dust at the box office, clearing $55.6 million in its opening weekend to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

The car racing drama, which stars Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, easily lapped “How to Train Your Dragon,” which grossed $19.4 million Friday through Sunday in its third week in theaters, Comscore reported.

You may like: Bianca Bustamante starstruck by Brad Pitt at F1 movie premier

The animated adventure “Elio” claimed third place with $10.7 million in its second weekend.

Blumhouse’s horror sequel “M3GAN 2.0” opened to a disappointing $10.2 million for fourth place, followed by “28 Years Later,” which took in $9.7 million in its second weekend at theaters in the United States and Canada.

You may like: Brad Pitt admits hitting rock bottom after split from Angelina Jolie

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “Lilo & Stitch” ($6.9 million), “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” ($4.1 million), “Materialists” ($2.9 million), “Ballerina” ($2.1 million) and “Karate Kid: Legends” ($1 million).

This weekend’s overall three-day box office haul was estimated at $128 million. The year-to-date total is $4.132 billion — up 15.5 percent from the figure at this time last year, according to Comscore.

“F1 The Movie,” which debuted with $144 million globally over the weekend, was Apple’s first foray into summer blockbuster territory.

You may like: Home reportedly owned by Brad Pitt was ransacked by burglars, police say

Brad Pitt, left, and Tom Cruise pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘F1 The Movie’ on Monday, June 23, 2025, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

With a production budget over $200 million, “F1” still has several laps to go to turn a profit. But for now, “F1” is full speed ahead.

Car racing movies have often struggled in theaters; crash-and-burn cases include Ron Howard’s “Rush” (2013) and Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” (2023). But “F1” built off the Formula 1 fandom stirred up by the popular series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” And it leaned on “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer to deliver another adult-oriented action thrill ride.

Warner Bros. expected “F1” to perform well overseas, where the sport is more popular than it is in the US.

Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros., said Pitt was the movie’s “secret sauce.” The $144 million global launch is the actor’s biggest opening weekend. (With CNS report)

The post ‘F1 The Movie’ races to $55.6 million opening weekend appeared first on USNewsRank.