6/27-6/29: F1 Firing on All Cylinders

Jun 29, 2025

F1: THE MOVIE, produced by Apple Original Films and distributed by Warner Bros., exceeded expectations and raced to a first-place finish with $55.6M in its opening weekend. The gross for all pictures this weekend hit $128.0M, compared with $154.3 on this same weekend last year, when Pixar’s INSIDE OUT 2 in its third weekend earned $57.5M, and Paramount’s sci-fi horror flick A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE opened with $52.2M.

Looking back at the second quarter, 2025 topped 2024 in 9 out of a total of 13 weekends. Looking ahead, the third quarter should begin with a bang, starting with Universal’s JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH opening on Wednesday, July 2^nd. One year ago, Universal also delivered for the July 4^th holiday weekend by bringing out DESPICABLE ME 4, the latest chapter in the beloved and successful animated series.

F1’s $55.6M was a box office record for Apple-produced movies, more than twice the $23.3M earned by Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON in 2023. When you add in $88.4M from international sales. F1 has shot out to a $144.0 global start.

F1 stars Brad Pitt in his 37th leading role, with his prior 36 movies having grossed $5.1B. Now 61 years old, Pitt burst onto the scene in 1991 in THELMA AND LOUISE, playing the charming drifter J.D., whom Thelma (Geena Davis) decides to pick up. In F1, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula 1 driver who decides to come back to the sport for one last chance to win.

Both Pitt and co-star Damson Idris undertook intensive driver training so they could get behind the wheel for their high-speed driving sequences, at speeds over 180 mph. The movie is directed by Joseph Kosinski, best known for TOP GUN: MAVERICK, another film that deals with high speeds and immersive action. In the plot of F1, Sonny Hayes had been one of F1’s most promising drivers until a dangerous crash ended his career.

Hayes’ friend-turned-team-owner, Ruben (played by Javier Bardem), convinces him to come back to racing so he can mentor a rookie driver, Joshua Pearce (played by Idris). The drama plays out on the track, with Hayes confronting his past and a new rivalry developing between teammates.

To give the movie authenticity, filming took place during Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends at Silverstone in the U.K. and Monza in Italy. A fictitious team, APXGP, was created, and the movie crew was given its own garage and pit box to appear as a real team.

Seven-time Formula 1 winner Lewis Hamilton served as a technical advisor to the film, with the crew getting unprecedented access to the sport’s inner workings in cooperation with Formula 1 and Liberty Media. Some are hailing the movie as a major cinematic event, reminiscent of Ron Howard’s RUSH from 2013 and James Mangold’s FORD V FERRARI in 2019.

While critics liked the film well enough, giving it an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were over the moon with their 97% rating. The Hollywood Reporter opined that “Of course, there are some unrealistic elements in F1… moments that might have sticklers raising an eyebrow, but the film doesn’t feel any less dramatic than the real thing.” The Film Verdict explained,

“Brad Pitt’s charisma fuels a roaringly good tale of clashing racers and egos,” praising both performance and spectacle. Variety said, “Brad Pitt swaggers through a Formula 1 drama that’s all surface excitement… charming, glossy, but light on depth.” The New Yorker describes the movie as steeped in “predictable underdog and generational conflict tropes,” acknowledging the thrilling cinematography but noting the story never “revolutionizes” the genre.

F1 was a very expensive movie to make, with production costs soaring to $200M. Using the standard rule of thumb, it will only become profitable once it takes in $500M in worldwide sales, which could be a challenge. FORD V FERRARI is the top-grossing movie focused on competitive car racing, and it was only able to earn $226.2M in the global box office.

While this weekend’s F1 $55.6M opening is a good start, well above the $31.5M earned by FORD V FERRARI in its first three days, F1 will need to string together a run of strong weekends. One potential roadblock will be the competition it will face from Universal’s JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, which opens on Wednesday, July 2^nd, and Warner Bros.’ own SUPERMAN, which opens on Friday, July 11^th. Here is a comparison of F1 to FORD V FERRARI.

F1: THE MOVIE vs. FORD V FERRARI

F1: THE MOVIE (6/27/2025) – Domestic Opening $55.6M (3,661 locations), Budget $200M, RT Critics/Audience 83%/97%
FORD V FERRARI (11/15/2019) – Domestic Opening $31.5M (3,528 locations), Domestic Total $117.6, Worldwide Total $226.2M, Budget $98M, RT Critics/Audience 92%/98%

After two weeks in first place, Universal’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON dropped into second this weekend by earning $19.4M, a decline of 47%. After 17 days, the live-action animated remake has earned $200.0M domestic and $454.4M worldwide.

It continues to outperform its animated predecessors and will soon pass the franchise’s $217.6M domestic box office record set by the original 2010 movie. Universal has already announced plans for a live-action sequel to this year’s movie, with the title HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, and that it is scheduled to open in two years on June 11, 2027.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025) Live-Action vs. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010, 2014, 2019) Animated

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (6/13/2025) – Domestic Opening $83.7M (4,356 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $37.0M (-56%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $19.4M (-47%), Domestic 17-Day $200.0M, Budget $200M, RT Critics/Audience 77%/98%
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (3/26/2010) – Domestic Opening $43.7M (4,055 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $29.0M (-34%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $24.9M (-14%), Domestic 17-Day $133.4M, Domestic Total $217.6M, Worldwide Total $494.9M, Budget $165M, RT Critics/Audience 99%/91%
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (6/13/2014) – Domestic Opening $49.5M (4,253 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $24.7M (-50%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $13.2M (-46%), Domestic 17-Day $122.0M, Domestic Total $177.0M, Worldwide Total $621.5M, Budget $145M, RT Critics/Audience 92%/90%
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (2/22/2019) – Domestic Opening $55.0M (4,259 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $30.0M (-45%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $14.7M (-51%), Domestic 17-Day $119.7M, Domestic Total $160.9M, Worldwide Total $540.0M, Budget $129M, RT Critics/Audience 90%/87%

Disney and Pixar’s ELIO finished in third place this weekend with $10.7M in new ticket sales, a drop of 49%. This brings its 10-day total to $42.2M domestic and $72.3M worldwide. Unfortunately, these numbers are all-time lows for a Pixar film after 10 days. Until now, the low record holder was ELEMENTAL, which earned $65.5M in its first ten days in 2023.

We are also looking closely at ELIO’s international sales, which account for only 42% of its worldwide total. By contrast, ELEMENTAL earned 69% of its box office from international territories. Since ELIO is struggling in all markets, it is in real danger of coming up short of the $375M worldwide that it would need to be profitable. This weekend’s drop of 49% from its already disappointing first weekend is worse than ELEMENTAL’s 38% drop. Here is how ELIO and ELEMENTAL compare after 10 days.

ELIO vs. ELEMENTAL

ELIO (6/20/2025) – Domestic Opening $21.0M (3,750 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $10.7M (-49%), Domestic 10-day $42.2M, Budget $150M, RT Critics/Audience 84%/91%
ELEMENTAL (6/16/2023) – Domestic Opening $29.6M (4,033 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $18.4M (-38%), Domestic 10-day $65.5M, Domestic Total $154.4, Worldwide Total $496.4M, Budget $200M, RT Critics/Audience 73%/93%

This weekend’s fourth-place movie was Universal’s M3GAN 2.0, which failed to meet expectations with its disappointing $10.2M total. The horror sequel follows the surprise hit M3GAN, which started with $30.4M on the weekend of January 6-8, 2023, and went on to gross $180M worldwide.

After the M3GAN’s success was clear, plans for a sequel came together quickly so that the original director, Gerald Johnstone, could be locked into the project. To maintain creative continuity, Johnstone also co-wrote the script for M3GAN 2.0.

The story picks up two years after the original M3GAN concludes. Gemma, the roboticist (played by Allison Williams) who created the rampaging, murderous doll M3GAN in the original movie, has since become a vocal advocate for control and oversight of AI. In the background, her 14-year-old niece Cady (played by Violet McGraw) grapples with teenage rebellion.

M3GAN’s core technology is stolen by a defense contractor to create a new military-grade android, AMELIA. When AMELIA gains self-awareness and turns against humanity, Gemma resurrects and upgrades M3GAN to stop the rogue AI and protect Cady. The sequel ends with a high-stakes showdown between two machines.

The sequel shifts from the pure horror vibes of the original to a darker action/thriller/comedy hybrid. Dance scenes lighten the mood while also adding to the suspense. Both Allison Wilson and Violet McGraw return to their key roles, but Cady is now 14, when just two years ago she was 8. Amie Donald returns as the physical M3GAN while Jenna Davis is once again the voice of M3GAN. Both films were shot entirely in New Zealand.

Critics liked the original, giving it a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences were so-so with their 78% score. This time out, M3GAN 2.0 has left critics rather unimpressed with a lowly 58% score, while audiences like it better than the first one, with an 85% score.

CinemaBlend explains that even though it has a PG-13 rating, it feels nearly R-rated, with “strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language… and sexual material,” and suggests the gore may surprise audiences. Variety says “M3GAN 2.0 isn’t as much fun as the first film, “stressing that while the doll remains iconic, the film leans too heavily into camp and action, diluting its predecessor’s balance.

The Film Verdict points out that the film has humor clashing with overcomplicated plotting; it ends up a tangled, spy‑heavy mixture lacking inspiration. Not everyone was down on the film as Entertainment Weekly’s review praises the bold genre shift—describing it as a “quirky, tech-heavy action film”—and applauds its humor, creative direction (“Sam Raimi-style energy”), and its self-aware spectacle. Plot-wise, it’s “muddled,” but overall, they give it a solid grade B.

The production budget for the film was $25M, over two times the original’s $12M. While M3GAN was extremely profitable, having an enviable 15 to 1 ratio of worldwide gross to production budget, M3GAN 2.0 seems unlikely to do nearly as well, especially after its disappointing opening of $10.2M and a much higher production cost.

Its box office earnings are not likely to reach the $63M worldwide necessary to make a profit. Universal is faced with a tough decision on whether to make more M3GANs, since the trendline is going in the wrong direction.

M3GAN 2.0 vs. M3GAN

M3GAN 2.0 (6/27/2025) – Domestic Opening $10.2M (3,112 locations), Budget $25M, RT Critics/Audience 58%/84%
M3GAN (1/6/2023) – Domestic Opening $30.4M (3,509 locations), Domestic Total $95.2M, Worldwide Total $180.1M, Budget $12M, RT Critics/Audience 93%/78%

Sony’s 28 YEARS LATER finished in fifth place with $9.7M, a decline of 68% in its second weekend. This brings its 10-day total to $50.4M domestic. The drop of 68% in its second weekend is much steeper than the 40% decline experienced by 28 DAYS LATER and the 44% decline for 28 WEEKS LATER.

After setting a new franchise record with $30.0M, Sony had hoped to see something closer to a 50% drop in weekend #2. With two additional “28” films in various stages of development, Sony may have to adjust to the realities of the marketplace, perhaps by making future films on a smaller production budget.

“28” Franchise Movies

28 YEARS LATER (6/20/2025) – Domestic Opening $30.0M (3,444 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $9.7M (-68%), Domestic 10-day $50.4M, Budget $75M, RT Critics/Audience 90%/65%
28 WEEKS LATER (5/11/2007) – Domestic Opening $9.8M/$15.2M* (2,303 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $5.5M/$8.5M* (-44%), Domestic 10-day $18.9M/$29.3M*, Domestic Total $28.6M/$44.3M*, Worldwide Total $72.3M/$112.1M*, Budget $15M/$23.3M*, RT Critics/Audience 73%/66%
28 DAYS LATER (6/27/2002) – Domestic Opening $10.1M/$18.5M* (1,260 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $6.0M/$10.7M* (-40%), Domestic 10-day $20.6M/$36.8M*, Domestic Total $45.1M/$80.6M*, Worldwide Total $72.6M/$129.7M*, Budget $8M/$14.3M* RT Critics/Audience 87%/85%

Where Are We as of June 26

After 25 weeks, the domestic box office in 2025 stands at 117% compared to the same point in 2024 and 72% compared to 2019.

Where Are We as of 2025-06-26