The box office will be full of speeding cars and killing robots thanks to “F1” and “M3GAN 2.0,” which are both opening wide this weekend.
“F1” has made $10 million in advance previews, including $7.2 million on Thursday, while “M3GAN 2.0” made $1.5 million on Thursday.
Apple’s “F1,” which stars Brad Pitt as an aging Formula One racer, is on track to take first place, but projections for its opening weekend vary. Some estimates put the racing movie’s launch at around $50 million to $60 million, but some projections are softer at $35 million to $40 million. Adult-skewing, original dramas have not been faring as well at the box office as IP-driven, family-friendly films have taken over, which accounts for the differing estimates.
“F1” has a production budget north of $200 million, which would be a major swing for a regular studio but less so for Apple, the deep-pocketed tech giant. However, the company has yet to make a profitable film as its big-budget movies like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon” were well received by critics but failed to make it into the black. Despite their financial struggles, these auteur-driven movies do prove Apple’s commitment to the big screen — and its streaming service Apple TV+.
“M3GAN 2.0,” the sequel to the viral horror hit from 2022, is expected to open with $20 million. That’s lower than the original’s opening weekend of $30.4 million, but it only has a $25 million price tag, so the sequel should be another profitable hit. The Universal and Blumhouse horror will compete against “How to Train Your Dragon,” which is entering its third weekend, for second place at the box office.
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