“‘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.

Apple's high-octane racing film "F1: The Movie" roared to the top of the U.S. and Canadian box office this weekend, fueled by star-power and a finely-tuned marketing campaign, according to Comscore. The movie,