‘F1’ Gives Brad Pitt’s Biggest Opening Weekend of His Career ArticlePure

Brad Pitt’s latest film is racing to summer blockbuster status — and already became the movie star’s biggest opening weekend to date!

F1 made an estimated $55.6 million in North America in its opening weekend and racked in $144 million worldwide, the Associated Press reported. With these figures, the Pitt-led sports drama became Apple’s biggest opening to date — and the Oscar winner, 61, was a huge part of that, according to a Warner Bros. executive.

The studio, which partnered with Apple to distribute F1, anticipated that it would perform well outside of the United States given the titular sport’s international popularity, per the AP. But Pitt was the film’s “secret sauce,” said Warner Bros. Distribution Chief Jeffrey Goldstein.

After F1’s $144 million global debut, Zack Van Amburg, head of worldwide video for Apple, shared a statement about the film’s “outstanding” opening weekend.

“The film’s outstanding debut reflects both the excitement of Formula 1,” Van Amburg said, per the AP, “and the deeply emotional and entertaining story crafted by the entire cast and creative team. Their dedication and innovation have fueled an unforgettable cinematic experience.”

In F1, Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a washed-up Formula 1 driver. Enlisted by his longtime friend and former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), Sonny joins struggling Formula 1 team APXGP, where he clashes with cocky rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) while trying to get the team on the podium for the first time ever.

And to say that Pitt loved getting behind the wheel for the film may be a bit of an understatement, according to producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The Oscar winner “couldn’t wait to get” behind the wheel from the get-go, Bruckheimer, 81, previously told PEOPLE. And when filming concluded after two years, “We had to tear him out of the car,” the producer recalled.

“The saddest day for Brad was when we said, ‘It’s a wrap,’ and he had to climb out of the car,” said Bruckheimer. “He just loved it. They both [did]. They had the best time.”

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F1 is now in theaters.