Brad Pitt Made Impressive History With 'F1' Release

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Legendary actor Brad Pitt and "Top Gun: Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski teamed up to create the perfect summer blockbuster, "F1."

Pitt plays a racer-for-hire named Sonny Hayes who once had a promising career ahead of him. Although his career nearly ended due to an injury in a Formula 1 race, he returns to the sport and quickly finds himself mentoring a hotshot rookie named Joshua Pearce, who is played by Damson Idris.

Moviegoers had nothing but great things to say about "F1." As of June 30, the sports drama film has received a 97% approval rating from audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Positive word of mouth most likely helped "F1" out at the box office. The film earned an estimated $55.6 million domestically and $144 million worldwide during its opening weekend.

With those numbers in the book, "F1" has recorded the biggest opening weekend for Apple Studios. Zack Van Amburg, the head of worldwide video for Apple, released a statement on this achievement.

"The film’s outstanding debut reflects both the excitement of Formula 1, and the deeply emotional and entertaining story crafted by the entire cast and creative team. Their dedication and innovation have fueled an unforgettable cinematic experience," Van Amburg said.

Since "F1" has become quite a hit at the box office, it's possible we'll see Pitt reprise his role as Sonny Hayes in the future. After all, Kosinski teased a potential team-up with Tom Cruise's character of "Days of Thunder." He referred to it as his dream pitch.

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"Right now, it’d be Cole Trickle. We find out that he and Sonny Hayes have a past," Kosinski said. "They were rivals at some point, maybe crossed paths… I heard about this epic go-kart battle on Interview with the Vampire that Brad and Tom had, and who wouldn’t pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?"

In the meantime, Pitt and everyone involved in the making of "F1" are enjoying their well-earned success.

Brad Pitt Made Impressive History With 'F1' Release first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2025