Ford v Ferrari, the historical sports drama from Disney and 20th Century Fox, dominated the box-office, earning $31 million in North America.
Directed by James Mangold and featuring Christian Bale and Matt Damon in lead roles, Ford v Ferrari debuted ahead of expectations due to star power and strong word-of-mouth from moviegoers.
A male driven adventure, Ford v Ferrari tells the true story of the automotive team at Ford, led by designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and his British driver Ken Miles (Bale), as they build a race car to beat the legendary Ferrari in the prestigious Le Mans race.
Ford v Ferrari” secured a rare A+ CinemaScore, the highest marks among nationwide offerings. That kind of praise from ticket buyers indicates the racing drama should have a long life in theaters, a good sign considering the movie cost around $100 million.
As expected, Ford v Ferrari appealed to mostly older male crowd: Men accounted for 62% of ticket buyers, while nearly 80% were over the age of 25.
International moviegoers, as well as potential Oscar buzz, should also help drive the film toward profitability.
Ford v Ferrari launched overseas this weekend with $21 million, pushing its global tally to $52.4 million.
The movie represents a triumph for Fox under its new owners at Disney and the first commercial success since the studios merged in March.