Box Office Preview: ‘F1’ to Leave ‘M3GAN 2.0’ in the Dust With High-Octane $40M-$50M U.S. Opening

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This weekend, I’m all set to witness an intense showdown between a veteran racer and a spooky AI doll at the cinemas. It seems like both Formula 1 racing movies and horror flicks are putting their skills to the test in this clash!

According to movie experts, it’s expected that Apple Original Films’ highly praised film “F1: The Movie” could outshine Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s sequel “M3GAN 2.0” significantly, potentially earning between $40 million and $50 million in its domestic debut. Warner Bros., which is handling distribution and marketing for the high-budget summer blockbuster, predicts a slightly more modest opening within the high $30 million range.

Globally, this action sports drama is expected to earn $115 million or more during its worldwide debut, surpassing a production budget of at least $200 million (although some sources suggest it could be even higher). The movie has a significant edge with exclusive access to Imax screens for three weeks, as well as other premium large format screens like Dolby Cinema for a portion of that period. Pre-sales have been robust, and both Apple and Warner Bros. are hosting aggressive previews to stimulate buzz and encourage word-of-mouth. (It’s worth noting that the production budget may be higher than reported, but this hasn’t been confirmed.)

In a significant move for Apple, the movie titled F1 – featuring Brad Pitt under Joseph Kosinski’s direction (known for “Top Gun: Maverick”) – aims to rekindle its cinematic aspirations following disappointments like Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” which failed to make an impact at the box office.

Venturing into Formula 1 is a daring step – Apple executive Eddy Cue, who has been an avid fan of the sport for a long time and serves on Ferrari NV’s board – faces challenges since it isn’t as popular in the United States as it is abroad. In 2013, Ron Howard’s Formula One film “Rush” struggled at the U.S. box office, earning just $26.9 million compared to its global total of $97 million.

2019 saw Ford v. Ferrari, featuring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, performing exceptionally well at the box office, raking in $117.5 million within North America and an additional $108.7 million internationally, totaling a global revenue of $226.3 million. However, it’s important to note that this film wasn’t about Formula 1 racing but rather a biographical drama with strong pro-American undertones, focusing on the true story of an American engineer who assisted Ford Motor Company in creating a car capable of outperforming Ferrari and winning the prestigious Le Mans race.

Formula One, filled with numerous intense collisions, remains the globally esteemed auto racing tournament and continues to gain popularity in the United States, partly due to the acclaimed Netflix documentary series, Drive to Survive.

In the movie directed by Kosinski, Brad Pitt portrays a retired F1 driver, once injured, who makes a comeback to join forces with a budding racer, played by Damson Idris. The character of Javier Bardem brings the story together as the owner of the F1 team that sets this plan into motion.

In the thrilling world of gaming, I’ve been honored to contribute my skills to the epic soundtrack of “Top Gun: Maverick,” having collaborated closely with director Joseph Kosinski.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m hyped about the projected opening of M3GAN 2.0, which could rake in over $20 million. That’s still a significant drop compared to the whopping $30.4 million debut of its predecessor back in December 2023, but it’s nothing a box office hit can’t handle! If everything goes as planned, North America could see a total take of $117.7 million, with global earnings reaching an impressive $226.3 million. And the best part? All this while keeping production costs down to just $12 million. Now that’s value for money entertainment!

Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster have joined forces once again to create a follow-up film for Universal Studios. Despite the crowded market for horror movies, analysts predict that this sequel will still generate substantial profits due to its relatively low budget of $15 million.

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In collaboration with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster, a follow-up movie is being produced by Universal Studios. Although the horror genre market is currently oversaturated, experts believe that the sequel will likely yield substantial profits given its budget of only $15 million.

In two years following an AI doll’s violent rampage to safeguard its young human companion (Violet McGraw), the doll was put aside. Its creator, Allison Williams, now a well-known author and proponent for government control of AIs, is seen. However, when another AI being arises, more menacing than the first, M3GAN is reactivated, leading to chaos. The sequel is directed by Gerard Johnstone, who also co-wrote the story with Akela Cooper, and it’s based on characters created by Cooper and James Wan.

In the latest installment, actors Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps rejoin the cast, along with McGraw and Williams. New faces joining the franchise include Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp, and award-winning musician Jemaine Clement, who has also been nominated for 11 Emmys.

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2025-06-25 22:54