Apple's Big Summer Movie Expanding to More IMAX Theaters Due to 'Overwhelming Popularity'

[MacRumors]

Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it will be premiering Apple's upcoming F1 film in more IMAX theaters than it originally planned to.

There will now be advanced screenings of F1: The Movie at 400 IMAX theaters around the world on Monday, June 23 at 7:00 p.m. local time, ahead of the film's wider release on June 25 internationally and on June 27 in the U.S. and Canada. Warner Bros. Pictures decided to offer additional IMAX screenings due to "overwhelming popularity" for the film so far, with the initial 25 screenings that it offered all sold out.

Tickets for the early IMAX screenings and general showings go on sale starting tomorrow, May 21.

The film will tell a familiar underdog story. 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.

The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who is known for other popular action films, including "Tron: Legacy" and "Top Gun: Maverick."

F1: The Movie will be available to stream on Apple TV+ at a later date. In the U.S., Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month, or $99 per year. The streaming service is available through the Apple TV app on a wide variety of devices, and on the web at tv.apple.com, with a free seven-day trial available. Apple TV+ is also available in Apple One bundles.

Article Link: Apple's Big Summer Movie Expanding to More IMAX Theaters Due to 'Overwhelming Popularity'

 

[tongxinshe]

I wonder how many people heard about this news, either from the media or from their fiends watched the advanced screening, will mistakenly sign up for Netflix instead of AppleTV+, because in their mind “online streaming == Netflix”.

 

[jz0309]

Warner Bros. Pictures decided to offer additional IMAX screenings due to "overwhelming popularity" for the film so far, with the initial 25 screenings that it offered all sold out.

I call that brilliant marketing, nothing else ...
We'll know within a couple weeks (at most) after opening whether it's a success or not ...

 

[davie18]

I wonder how many people heard about this news, either from the media or from their fiends watched the advanced screening, will mistakenly sign up for Netflix instead of AppleTV+, because in their mind “online streaming == Netflix”.

Well it would be a bit daft even if they signed up to AppleTV+ when they haven't even said yet when this will be available on AppleTV+... probably not for a few months after cinema release i would guess.

 

[spartan1967]

Saw the preview before Thunderbolts. Looks amazing!

 

[mozumder]

There's only like a dozen actual IMAX theatres though..

 

[JavierC]

There's only like a dozen actual IMAX theatres though..

There are actually over 1,700 IMAX theaters in 90 countries!

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

I hope they do a physical release for MAXIMUM SOUND option.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

There are actually over 1,700 IMAX theaters in 90 countries!

Full 70mm screens or the retrofitted ones calling themselves IMAX?

 

[mozumder]

There are actually over 1,700 IMAX theaters in 90 countries!

Those are the fake IMAX. The real IMAX theatres have 10 story tall screens

 

[Rafagon]

Sorry, if this isn't any the function key F1, then I'm not interested.

 

[syklee26]

Apple should've demanded the filmmakers to shoot this movie in Vision Pro format.

 

[newyorksole]

Those are the fake IMAX. The real IMAX theatres have 10 story tall screens

I really hate that there’s “fake” everything lol. back in the day I would’ve never known that some IMAX screens aren’t “true IMAX”.

you’ll drink what you think is decent tequila and people say it’s not “real” tequila. you have some wagyu and people say how it’s not “real” wagyu.

gotta research everything these days..

 

[Simmias]

Looks boring and seems to fit the mold of Apple’s other feature film efforts:

• Past their prime big name actors
• Glossy and overproduced
• Forced, checkbox diversity
• Weak writing and instantly forgettable story
• Unclear who the target audience even is. Middle aged F1 fans?

I can’t see this having any legs or mass appeal. Might have a decent opening weekend and then fade quickly.

 

[ZipZilla]

I want to see this. Imax is a great experience.

 

[Residentsteve]

Looks alright for a Brad Pitt movie his best films for me are bullet train and mr and mrs smith. Even though I find f1 boring 😂.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Looks alright for a Brad Pitt movie his best films for me are bullet train and mr and mrs smith. Even though I find f1 boring 😂.

The movie will definitely be more exciting than the races in 2023; somebody other than Max might win a race.

 

[sw1tcher]

Looks boring and seems to fit the mold of Apple’s other feature film efforts:

• [ . . . ]
• Unclear who the target audience even is. Middle aged F1 fans?

I can’t see this having any legs or mass appeal. Might have a decent opening weekend and then fade quickly.

I take it you don't watch/follow F1. The F1 audience has grown substantially in recent years and it's attracting a much younger and diverse audience.

F1 Study Reveals Half of Sport's Fans in US Are New to Formula 1 Since 2020

Study also shows that the 16-24-year-old females group is the fastest-growing demographic among Formula 1 fans.

www.autoweek.com

Half of Formula 1 fans in the United States only started following the sport in the last five years, according to F1 championship organizers, as record attendance figures were reported for 2024.

Formula 1 published figures Thursday that outlined 6.5 million spectators attended the 24 Grands Prix through the season — an average of 270,000 per event weekend.

Of those 24 events in 2024, 17 were sold out, 10 set new records. The British Grand Prix led the way, with 480,000 spectators, ahead of Australia on 452,000, and the U.S. Grand Prix at Austin on approximately 430,000.

The sophomore Las Vegas Grand Prix attracted 306,000 spectators, with the third edition of the Miami Grand Prix welcoming 275,000 spectators.

Championship officials also outlined that according to the data it has gathered one in two fans in the U.S. — with its fanbase in the nation now expanding to 45 million — started following the sport within the last five years.

Formula 1’s popularity has ballooned in the U.S. since the pandemic, with Netflix’s Drive to Survive series often credited with attracting fans, while there are now three Grands Prix annually in the country.

[ . . . ]

Formula 1 also reported that it now has a global fanbase of 750 million people, with 42% under 35 years old, and 41% female versus 37% in 2018.

It outlined that 16-24-year-old females is the fastest-growing age sector, reflecting the shift in demographic that Formula 1 has enjoyed under Liberty Media’s ownership.

 

[Graphate]

Looks boring and seems to fit the mold of Apple’s other feature film efforts:

• Past their prime big name actors
• Glossy and overproduced
• Forced, checkbox diversity
• Weak writing and instantly forgettable story
• Unclear who the target audience even is. Middle aged F1 fans?

I can’t see this having any legs or mass appeal. Might have a decent opening weekend and then fade quickly.

I guess we’ll find out soon.

I’ll wait until the end to assess my decision to watch it, this isn’t likely to be a thoughtful movie, but it doesn’t hurt to think about a thing before you decide if it’s ‘for you.’

 

[rp2011]

Movie looks amazing! Glad to see it expand to more theaters. Though some IMAX theaters do not look or feel very IMAX.

 

[sw1tcher]

Well it would be a bit daft even if they signed up to AppleTV+ when they haven't even said yet when this will be available on AppleTV+... probably not for a few months after cinema release i would guess.

Based on past release schedules

List of Apple TV+ original films - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

movies were available on Apple TV+ as soon as 1 week after their theatrical release while the bigger movies took between 90 and 100 days (e.g. The Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon) to show up on Apple TV+ after their theatrical release.

Fly Me to the Moon took almost 5 months.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Formula 1’s popularity has ballooned in the U.S. since the pandemic, with Netflix’s Drive to Survive series often credited with attracting fans, while there are now three Grands Prix annually in the country.

Drive to Survive is what sucked my family in. They knew nothing about F1. But a F1 fan suggested watching DTS and my wife binged seasons 1-5 over a few weeks. When it was over, she asked, "Where's the next season?" I replied, "it is going on now." So we subscribed to the F1TV and have been watching ever since.

 

[BGPL]

Let's hope it will be better than Wolfs. More like Dogs. Two hours of playful banter between Pitt and Clooney they thought people would find witty and clever.

 

[nfl46]

There are actually over 1,700 IMAX theaters in 90 countries!

🎥 Real IMAX Theaters in the U.S. (GT Laser or 70mm)

These are NOT “LieMAX” – they feature giant screens, true IMAX projection, and the full immersive experience.

East Coast

• AMC Lincoln Square 13 – New York, NY
• Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center – Chantilly, VA
• Regal King of Prussia IMAX – King of Prussia, PA
• AutoNation IMAX (MODS) – Fort Lauderdale, FL

Midwest

• Indiana State Museum IMAX – Indianapolis, IN
• Science Center of Iowa IMAX – Des Moines, IA
• Navy Pier IMAX – Chicago, IL (Temporarily Closed)

South

• Fort Worth Museum of Science & History – Fort Worth, TX
• McWane Science Center IMAX Dome – Birmingham, AL
• Tennessee Aquarium IMAX – Chattanooga, TN

West Coast

• AMC Universal CityWalk IMAX – Universal City, CA
• TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX – Hollywood, CA
• Esquire IMAX Theatre – Sacramento, CA

Pacific Northwest

• Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX – Seattle, WA
• OMSI Empirical Theater – Portland, OR

 

[L92]

I feel like this movie will be an epic box office disaster. But I guess Tim is an F1 fan, so that's okay.