The film earned approximately $7.7 millionAUD across its first three days in Australian cinemas, making it the third-highest opening weekend of the year locally, behind only A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch.
The film’s strong Australian performance follows a significant international opening, with the Joseph Kosinski-directed feature collecting $219 million AUD ($144 million USD) globally — marking the highest opening weekend of Pitt’s career.
It also debuted at number one in the United States with $55.6 million USD ($84.6 million AUD), the sixth-highest opening weekend of the year in that market. Elsewhere, it recorded $9.2 million USD ($14.8 million AUD) in the United Kingdom and $9 million USD ($13.7 million AUD) in China.
Directed by Jospeh Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), the film stars Pitt as a retired F1 driver making a comeback to mentor a younger teammate, played by Damson Idris. The production was made with the full cooperation of Formula 1 and was filmed at several grands prix during the 2023 and 2024 seasons using modified F2 cars and innovative onboard camera technology.
The film is Apple Original Films’ first major theatrical-exclusive release and is being distributed globally by Warner Bros.
It is the company’s most commercially ambitious project to date, with production and marketing reportedly exceeding $250 million AUD. Previous Apple-backed releases such as CODA and Killers of the Flower Moon had limited box office runs before moving to streaming.
Pitt has continued to embrace the opportunities afforded to him by the film’s release, recently testing a 2023 McLaren MCL60 at the Circuit of the Americas in the United States.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast last week, Pitt described the experience of driving an F1 car as a dream come true.
“I got to hit 197mph (317kph) this week,” he said of the test.
“I really wanted to hit two [hundred miles], it hurts me a little bit. I was three miles per hour short on the straight.
Brad Pitt LOVES the MCL60 🤩✅#McLaren | #F1TheMovie pic.twitter.com/AnJVygsDTK
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 25, 2025
“It is really extraordinary. And I try to explain this feeling of downforce, and I fail every time because you try to say like a roller coaster, but that’s not even right. Because you feel a fulcrum point underneath you.
“I’ve just never experienced anything… that’s just more a feeling of presence in my life. Because you’re so focused, but you’re not white-knuckling. You’re just in this sublime groove.
“I’m just still on a high and I can’t thank Zak Brown and the team enough. I even spent the day out with Lando and — wow — just what a high.”
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