F1 The Movie races into cinemas to deliver the third biggest opening for a film this year.

Sydney, Australia – F1 The Movie has roared off the starting grid to deliver a turbo-charged opening weekend. Following a record-breaking year for the sport, the excitement has shifted from the track and into cinemas with the film delivering $7.8 million at the Australian box office, placing it as the third biggest opening for a film so far in 2025 behind A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch.

Across its Thursday to Sunday opening weekend, Aussie audiences accelerated into cinemas nationwide, delivering 318,000 admissions. The film performed strongly across P18-39 and P25-54 demographics, as well as high-value audiences, with 64% more likely to be NEO.

Shot specifically for IMAX, F1 The Movie is already being hailed as one of the most exhilarating releases of the year. Audiences and critics alike have embraced the high-speed, edge-of-your-seat action with the film receiving an A CinemaScore and 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Guy Burbidge, Managing Director of Val Morgan Cinema commented, “It’s no surprise to see F1 The Movie smash its opening weekend. With F1 viewership doubling in recent years and love for the sport at an all-time high, the timing couldn’t be better. Add to that the vision of Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, the star power of Brad Pitt, real tracks and real teams, then bring it all to the big screen, and you have one of the most exciting cultural moments of 2025.”

F1 The Movie has kickstarted the winter school holidays season with a bang, setting the tone for a jam-packed July filled with major releases including Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As the year continues, audiences can look forward to more cultural moments on the big screen with the return of highly anticipated franchise sequels Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Source: CineTAM 2025, CineTAM Live 2025, Numero.