“‘F1’ is going to be Apple’s biggest release at the box office by far,” says David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm. “This film looks like the successful business model Apple has envisioned and wanted to execute for several years.”

But the movie cost at least $350 million to make and market, analysts said, so it will need to attract substantial crowds in the weeks ahead to make money.

The new Pixar movie Elio received good reviews when it opened a few weeks ago, but continues to bomb at the box office. This isn't just an Elio problem; it's that kids don't want original movies on the big screen.