With stunning scenes filmed in Abu Dhabi, F1: The Movie Middle East box office numbers are soaring—much like the sport’s growing popularity in the region.
Apple Original Films’ eagerly anticipated F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski, has delivered an electrifying opening weekend at the global box office, becoming a historic milestone for the studio and the genre alike.
Racing to an extraordinary $144 million worldwide in its first four days, F1: The Movie proved that when premium content meets the right platform, audiences respond in unprecedented ways. The film’s domestic performance was nothing short of impressive, capturing $55.6 million domestically (US & Canada), while international markets contributed $88.4 million to boost the global tally.
But here’s where the story gets truly electrifying: these figures represent more than just solid box office performance—they’re rewriting the record books. Apple has officially crowned its new champion, with F1: The Movie speeding past previous theatrical releases like Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon to claim the studio’s highest-grossing opening weekend. For Brad Pitt, this marks a career milestone, surpassing even the zombie-fueled success of World War Z to become his biggest global launch ever.
The film now leads an entire genre, setting the record for the largest-ever opening weekend for a live-action motorsports film, outperforming acclaimed titles like Ford v Ferrari and Talladega Nights.
What’s driving this phenomenal success? It’s the perfect blend of star power, adrenaline-pumping action, and compelling storytelling—all delivered through Kosinski’s masterful direction, the same visionary behind Top Gun: Maverick’s soaring success.
Apple’s marketing strategy was equally sophisticated, with innovative tactics like haptic trailer technology serving as standout elements in a comprehensive campaign that created buzz by transcending traditional promotional boundaries.
The film’s global triumph has found particularly fertile ground in international markets, with standout performances across China, India, Mexico, and Australia. However, it is in the Middle East where F1: The Movie truly finds its home track.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain spearheaded the region’s exceptional enthusiasm for the film—and for good reason. With significant portions filmed at Abu Dhabi’s iconic Yas Marina Circuit, the movie speaks directly to regional audiences who have witnessed Formula 1’s explosive growth in the region. This authentic connection between the film’s setting and its audience creates a perfect storm of engagement and cultural relevance.
According to Motivate Val Morgan’s comprehensive cinema admissions reporting platform, CineMeasure, the results speak volumes: over 270,000 admissions across our regional circuit during its initial four‑day run secured the coveted number-one position for the weekend. This success reinforces cinema’s unique power to maximize audience connection with premium storytelling.
Building on a season already packed with major releases, F1: The Movie joins the ranks of summer blockbusters such as Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie, and Arabic hits like Asaf and Siko Siko, all fueling exceptional momentum across the region. The Motivate Val Morgan circuit has now reached 16.5 million admissions as of June 2025. With highly anticipated titles including Superman, Fantastic Four: First Step, and Jurassic World: Rebirth still to come, this remarkable box office streak shows no signs of slowing down.
These impressive admissions figures across the region reflect not just enthusiasm for premium content but also underscore the strategic value of the cinema medium itself, which continues to capture audience attention and deliver engagement levels unmatched by other entertainment forms. Cinema remains uniquely positioned as the only premium platform where high-caliber content like F1: The Movie can be experienced in its full glory—delivering the immersive, high-impact experiences that premium storytelling demands.
F1: The Movie reinforces what the industry understands instinctively: when you have truly premium content, the platform choice becomes obvious. For studios and exhibitors, this success validates that compelling storytelling, top-tier talent, and the cinema experience create unmatched audience connection and profitability. For brands, the principle holds true—premium content naturally gravitates toward premium platforms that deliver the premium engagement and impact it deserves.
Sources: Deadline, MVM CineMeasure
Mission Impossible UAE 2025 opening reached an impressive $3.6 million, securing the region’s position among the top 10 global markets and highlighting the Middle East’s growing cinema influence.
The weekend of May 22-25, 2025, delivered a spectacular reminder of cinema’s enduring power. Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning combined for an extraordinary $545.7 million global opening, setting the stage for an exceptional summer season.
Lilo & Stitch surfed to a remarkable $341.7 million global debut, claiming the third-highest Disney Live Action opening weekend ever—trailing only to The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. The film’s success story extends far beyond traditional expectations, with the $100 million production—originally destined for Disney+ before receiving a theatrical upgrade.
What makes this performance particularly impressive is the film’s demographic reach. According to THR, rather than relying solely on families, Lilo & Stitch captured 60% of its domestic audience from non-parent demographics, driven largely by Gen Z and millennial women who grew up with the 2002 animated original. This cross-generational appeal translated into robust international numbers, with $158.7 million from overseas markets, including dominant performances in Mexico, the UK, and Brazil.
Tom Cruise continues to defy both gravity and industry expectations with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning launching to $204 million worldwide. The eighth installment in the franchise achieved series-best numbers globally, collecting $127 million overseas alongside strong domestic performance, surpassing previous franchise record-holder Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Early audience reception has been positive, with an A- CinemaScore and strong critical reviews praising the film’s practical stunts and emotional storytelling.
The Middle East emerged as a crucial contributor to both films’ success. The UAE ranked among the top 10 markets for Mission: Impossible, with the Tom Cruise vehicle claiming the number one position in the region. Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch demonstrated strong family appeal across Gulf markets, contributing significantly to Disney’s international haul.
This regional performance underscores the Middle East’s growing importance in the global cinema ecosystem. With the regional market projected to reach $3.44 billion by 2033, driven by young demographics and expanding urban centers, the weekend’s results demonstrate audiences’ appetite for premium theatrical experiences and blockbuster content across all genres.
Both films benefited from premium large format presentations, with IMAX delivering franchise-best numbers for Mission: Impossible ($31M) while Lilo & Stitch attracted families to premium screens. This trend reinforces the industry’s strategic pivot toward enhanced experiences that differentiate theatrical viewing from home streaming.
For cinema advertisers, this weekend demonstrated the power of diverse audience appeal. The success across demographics—from nostalgic millennials to action enthusiasts—created multiple engagement touchpoints. Lilo & Stitch’s family-plus-adult appeal and Mission: Impossible’s premium audience proved cinema’s unique ability to deliver both mass reach and targeted demographics in a captive, premium environment.
The weekend’s triumph establishes momentum for what industry analysts predict could be the most robust summer season since before the pandemic. The upcoming slate includes:
The combination of franchise filmmaking, premium experiences, and global appeal demonstrates that when Hollywood delivers quality content, audiences respond enthusiastically across all markets. Both films proved that theatrical experiences remain irreplaceable—whether through nostalgic emotional connections or breathtaking practical stunts.
The message is clear: cinema remains irreplaceable, and summer 2025 is positioned to be one for the record books, offering unprecedented opportunities for both exhibitors and advertisers to connect with engaged global audiences.
Sources: Deadline, Box Office Mojo, The Hollywood Reporter
With just two weeks under its belt, Avengers: Infinity War just can’t seem to stop breaking box office records. The 2018 superhero team-up film – directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and based on a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely – is undoubtedly one of the biggest Hollywood movies ever to grace the silver screen.
The super mashup shattered a number of records, in its worldwide debut over the first weekend, less than three months after Marvel’s Black Panther began its own historic run.
Let us take a look at the movie’s box office achievements so far:
Avengers: Infinity War earned $258.2 million in its first weekend, surpassing fellow Disney title Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($248 million), to make the biggest domestic opening of all time.
Globally, Avengers: Infinity War has now grossed over $1.2 billion and has become the first film ever to cross the $1 billion mark in 11 days of release, and it has yet to release in China.
Avengers: Infinity War scored the biggest opening of all time in numerous international markets, achieving the highest debut ever in South Korea ($39.2 million), Mexico ($25.1 million), Brazil ($18.8 million), the Philippines ($12.5 million), Thailand ($10 million), Indonesia ($9.6 million) and Malaysia ($8.4 million). In India ($18.6 million), it was the biggest bow for a Western title ever and has already surpassed the entire runs of The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.
Apart from ranking as the second biggest debut of all time in Australia ($23 million), behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the superhero blockbuster notched the best start for a superhero pic in France ($17.7 million), Germany ($14.7 million) and Spain ($8.3 million). It was the second-best superhero epic showing in Italy ($11 million).
Leading all foreign markets with $42.2 million was the U.K./Ireland, where Avengers: Infinity War now boasts the third-biggest launch of all time, including the biggest Saturday ever.
The movie recorded the biggest three-day opening in the UAE, raking in a gross total of Dh15.4 million at the box office. According to UAE distributor Italia Film, the Marvel superhero adventure recorded 3,900 admissions in its opening weekend (between Thursday to Saturday) and is still running to packed houses.
Avengers: Infinity War is the 19th film in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe, combining a whooping nine franchises and a cast list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s A-list.
Still to watch this MEGA superhero blockbuster?
Don’t miss out. Book your tickets now at Motivate Val Morgan serviced cinema operators – VOX Cinemas (UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia), Reel Cinemas (UAE), Roxy Cinemas (UAE), Oscar Cinema (UAE), Cine Royal Cinema (UAE) and Cinemacity (UAE).
Sources: Gulf News (Tabloid), The Hollywood Reporter and TIME
