Apple Studios is scoring its biggest opening ever with Brad Pitt racing thriller “F1,” headed for first in its box office debut.

Oscar winner Pitt, perhaps Hollywood’s last genuinely big movie star, is again proving his international appeal.

My Oscar Book:

Universal’s “M3GAN 2.0” isn’t catching the same spark in its opening, projecting fourth place start behind holdovers “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Elio.”

F1 hit the track with $25 million across Friday and previews from 3,661 locations.

The movie is playing in Imax auditoriums and most other premium-large formats too. Apple outsourced distribution here, partnering with Warner Bros. The team-up has made a splash.

The movie is already Apple’s biggest opening weekend ever, surpassing the $23.2 million three-day bow of Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

It’s impressive launch for “F1,” which is expected to be buoyed by international grosses given Formula One’s popularity overseas.

Apple spent a lot: production budget is north of $200 million.

Apple is also a multi-trillion-dollar tech giant, with one theatrical release having relatively little immediate impact on its bottom line, especially compared to traditional studios. Still, the company would like to deliver a hit here and establish itself as a true theatrical presence, especially after its expensive 2024 commercial plays, “Argylle” and “Fly Me to the Moon,” failed to find footing in theaters.

It’s now projected for a three-day debut of $10.4 million. That’s way behind its projections for $20 million and just over a third of what the first “M3GAN” earned in its breakout opening back in January 2023, lifted by the momentum of TikTok dancing meme-dom.

It’s not a flattering comp considering Universal and Blumhouse/Atomic Monster doubled the spending for this sequel. At a $25 million production budget, the film is still much less of a financial burden than the average franchise play. All told, “M3GAN 2.0” doesn’t need to draw a massive crowd to turn a profit (and the “B+” grade on Cinema Score indicates good buzz from viewers).

Universal can still claim second place with “How to Train Your Dragon,” which added another $5.7 million on Friday and is projecting a 48% drop for a third-weekend gross of $19 million. The live-action remake has a shot at surpassing a $200 million domestic total through Sunday, and will soon after fly ahead of “Captain America: Brave New World” ($200.5 million) to rank as the fourth-highest-grossing North American release of 2025.

Rounding out the top five, Sony’s “28 Years Later” is dropping rapidly. The trilogy-starter earned $3 million on Friday and is projecting a second weekend of $9.5 million, down 68% from its opening. Great reviews haven’t shielded director Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller from a sharp drop. Domestic total is expected to hit $50 million through the first 10 days. A sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” has already filmed and is expected to release in January. Boyle has openly discussed that financing for a third and final entry is dependent on box office performance.