F1 The Movie with Brad Pitt collected $144 million in its first weekend — a record for Apple in cinemas

F1 The Movie starring Brad Pitt has opened at the box office with $144 million worldwide, of which $55.6 million came from the U.S. It is Apple Original Films' most successful theatrical release yet, Deadline reports.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, the project was in development for over four years and filmed at real Formula One circuits around the world.

The film, which stars Pitt as a former racing driver who returns to racing to help a young talent, received an A CinemaScore rating, a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and performed strongly in IMAX, grossing over $12.8 million, or 23% of the domestic box office.

Apple actively promoted the film across its services, including Apple Music, Maps, and Fitness+, and used a new trailer format with haptic feedback on the iPhone. Brands such as Mercedes-Benz, T-Mobile, Heineken, KFC, and others were partners in the promotion, and the global advertising campaign cost more than $100 million.

According to analysts, F1 has become an example of how streaming companies can successfully launch major premieres in cinemas.