Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's $350 Million Gamble on 'F1' Is Starting to Pay Off
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'll watch it when I can buy it on youtube or amazon. After Covid I've never really got back into the habit of being comfortable in crowded cinemas. And I suspect I'm far from alone in this, so would expect substantial additional revenue from digital sales and rentals.
The reason for my and many other negative comments on that thread were due to the fact that Apple is taking its eye off the ball for this nonsense at precisely the wrong time. Their product misses, leadership failures, future outlook and quality control are currently a big problem at Apple. Arguably, the movie doing well is the worst possible outcome as it may encourage more leadership focus away from their core businesses. It’s exactly why Apple shot down rumors they would acquire Disney - it was not their gig.
This is actually a valid complaint whether their movie does well or not.
Many things can be true at once.
I don’t know man. I saw it Saturday night. I was not blown away from post’s performance. He had a bunch of one liners, that’s about it. He had one scene towards the middle of the film when the other driver knocked him out of the race, and at the end of the race, Brad‘s yelling at him and pushed him and almost looks like he’s somewhat smiling when he’s trying to be upset.
I believe any other medium to larger know actor would have done the same job if not better than Pitt.
While it hasn't flopped (I define by ticket sales so $293 million is definitely good in my book), it hasn't even broken even yet given all the advertising and other budgets they used to create and promote it. Maybe people will buy it on Apple TV (I don't even know if it's available there yet for purchase and I don't think that purchase or rental counts as movie ticket sales) and get the money over the hump (need another $60 million to break even). But I don't think Apple, as far as a movie studio goes, wants to spend $350 million and only net $10 million when the dust settles in ticket sales. This is one of the most expensive films ever made. Top Gun Maverick's budget was $170 and grossed $1.5billion in global ticket sales. Yes, there is time for F1 to keep selling tickets.
What I said in a thread months ago: This theme, "In the underdog comeback film, Brad Pitt stars as an F1 driver who was an up-and-coming talent in the 1990s, until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, Pitt is invited to join a former teammate's struggling F1 team, in a last-shot bid to save the team and become the best in the world" is the theme of basically every race car and sports movie ever created. It's such a boring and predictable theme.
My hunch is the only reason this film is even making these kinds of ticket sales is due to Brad Pitt's stardom. The theme of the movie is the same old story. Apple needs to find some story that's a bit more original.
You realize it wasn't the notification, it was the behavior controlling nano bots released into your skin from the phone.
My friends who have seen it loved it...but even more interesting they said it was an "apple movie" and what they meant by that was quality....that it looked amazing. I thought that was interesting. I want to see it but for scheduling will probably wait until it streams and try to recreate the IMAX on my AVP.
Congrats to Apple. I'll watch when it makes it to ATV+. 2049 was the last movie I saw at a theater. 🙄
Happy to see people going back to the movies, no matter who is producing it
Nor did my any of my friends/family. Curious who did get it.
I thought it was a good movie but I also agree with this. I know nothing about F1 or racing in general. It would have been nice to know more about the rules, strategy, and what all of those people do on the team.
To read some of the comments, you'd think Apple's senior C-suite was on set every day actively producing the movie.
Apple did spend $100 million to secure the production rights to the film and that did technically give them input into said production, but I doubt Apple did much more than sign a massive check to get their name on the top billing of the credits (i.e. - "An Apple Original Film").
Apple did spend $100 million to secure the production rights to the film and that did technically give them input into said production, but I doubt Apple did much more than sign a massive check to get their name on the top billing of the credits (i.e. - "An Apple Original Film").
Did you have a Fandango ad for F1 in your wallet app?
I don't have notifications turned on so it wasn't served to me, but it was definitely in there when I checked.
How is getting sick in crowded cinemas any more of a risk than pre COVID?
i love F1 racing...to me the movie was just like TopGun Maverick. same premise...old guy comes back, a few sparks between the young guy and him, a casual love interest with the woman and so on.
the race scenes were good and the cameo's by the pro drivers could have been more developed . All in all it was a fluff piece but interesting enough for non F1 fans ??
the race scenes were good and the cameo's by the pro drivers could have been more developed . All in all it was a fluff piece but interesting enough for non F1 fans ??
How about flying your CEO in to do all the promo video with the cast and weeks of planning, the months of strategy sessions on whether to utilize products as cross platform marketing tools (i.e. wallet, websites, etc.), or the valuable time spent by leadership in attaching their name and financial backing to a non-core business in Hollywood? This was a much larger time suck than just slapping an endorsement on a film. Timmah was personally invested.To read some of the comments, you'd think Apple's senior C-suite was on set every day actively producing the movie.
Apple did spend $100 million to secure the production rights to the film and that did technically give them input into said production, but I doubt Apple did much more than sign a massive check to get their name on the top billing of the credits (i.e. - "An Apple Original Film").
I got Covid pretty badly and am still experiencing the side-effects. So crowded places for me aren't happy any more, and I suspect I'm not alone in this.
Almost all of that work was handled by PR and marketing staff well below the C-Suite.
I have seen this movie with my teenage son. The bottom line is it's a pathetic movie.
First, it's a giant commercial. For Apple and many other brands. So now, we pay to watch commercials.
Second, the plot is lame. Old pilot making a comeback, generational conflict etc. 1 line. Has never happened and will never happen in F1. F1 is not nascar. The old fart will win on the aseptic Abu Dhabi circuit paid by dictators and murderers, sorry for the spolier. The "happy end" was not an option.
Third, actors are really bad. Pitt and Bardem are painful, the other ones are transparent. Only Tobias Menzies is decent IMO.
Fourth, the way it depicts F1 grands prix is purely an and simply a lie. Over the past few years, F1 has become increasingly boring and the "battles" and "fights" you see in the movie never happen is real races. Usually you know the name of the winner by the end of the second lap.
Fifth, this movies could have been made with a GoPro. Such images would have been cool in the 1980's. In 2025, it's terribly ordinary.
So if your hormonal teens and pre-teens need a bucket of popcorn and a vroom-vroom movie, go with them and enjoy !
-burp- 🫧
First, it's a giant commercial. For Apple and many other brands. So now, we pay to watch commercials.
Second, the plot is lame. Old pilot making a comeback, generational conflict etc. 1 line. Has never happened and will never happen in F1. F1 is not nascar. The old fart will win on the aseptic Abu Dhabi circuit paid by dictators and murderers, sorry for the spolier. The "happy end" was not an option.
Third, actors are really bad. Pitt and Bardem are painful, the other ones are transparent. Only Tobias Menzies is decent IMO.
Fourth, the way it depicts F1 grands prix is purely an and simply a lie. Over the past few years, F1 has become increasingly boring and the "battles" and "fights" you see in the movie never happen is real races. Usually you know the name of the winner by the end of the second lap.
Fifth, this movies could have been made with a GoPro. Such images would have been cool in the 1980's. In 2025, it's terribly ordinary.
So if your hormonal teens and pre-teens need a bucket of popcorn and a vroom-vroom movie, go with them and enjoy !
-burp- 🫧
In what way? I only knew about the on-device ads because I saw them discussed here, and after that I had to go looking to find one. If I wasn't a MR reader I never would have known about ads on any Apple device. Though some people clearly did see them it was hardly a "problem" for everyone.