“F1” movie beats “World War Z” as Brad Pitt’s most successful movie with $545million gross

F1: The Movie has reached a new milestone, surpassing World War Z to become Brad Pitt’s highest-grossing film.

Since its international release on 25 June, the Pitt-led film has exceeded $545million globally. In comparison, World War Z, released in 2013, made $540million.

F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, featured Damson Idris alongside Pitt, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem, among others. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton served as an executive producer, helping embed the film closer to the reality of Formula 1.

The story follows former F1 driver and nomadic racer Sonny Hayes (Pitt) as he returns to the championship to help the struggling APX GP team and rookie Joshua Pearce (Idris). Formula One Management allowed the film inside the paddock, meaning it was filmed during actual F1 race weekends, the APXGP team had a garage, and real drivers from across the past couple of seasons featured in the film.

Pitt and Idris drove modified Formula 2 cars during the making of the film, but 61-year-old Pitt had the opportunity to drive the 2023 McLaren F1 car at the Circuit of the Americas after filming had wrapped.

“I really wanted to hit 200, it hurts me a little bit – three miles per hour short on the straight,” Pitt told Formula 1’s Beyond The Grid podcast after driving at the home of the United States Grand Prix.

Brad Pitt, American actor and film producer

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“I’ve never experienced anything that’s just a more feeling of presence in my life because you’re so focused, but not you’re not white knuckling. You’re just in this, like, sublime groove. It is really extraordinary. And I try to explain this feeling of downforce and I fail every time because you try to say, like, a roller coaster, but that’s not even right because you feel a fulcrum point underneath you. You’re in it.

“I mean… I’m still on high, I really am, I can’t thank Zak Brown and the team [enough], and spent the day with Lando, just what a high, the step up, is massive! It’s massive. Certainly the pick up is like nothing I’d experienced before, just more, more, more. More brakes, more speed, more cornering power. I want to go back again and beat the time.”