Harbingers’ Magazine is a weekly online current affairs magazine written and edited by teenagers worldwide.
harbinger | noun
har·bin·ger | \ˈhär-bən-jər\
1. one that initiates a major change: a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology; pioneer.
2. something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come.
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26 December 2025
Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in F1: ‘The Movie’ (2025).
The much-awaited F1: The Movie, released last June and starring big-name actors such as Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, has redefined what a sports film can achieve on a global scale.
The fusion of Hollywood spectacle and real-world Formula 1 elevates the film beyond previous motor sports movies. Previous films such as Gran Turismo (2023), Rush (2013) and Senna (2010) successfully captured the audience’s attention and the thrill of racing, but they relied largely on traditional filmmaking and recreated events.
F1: The Movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski, operates on a completely different level, benefiting from access to real Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends combined with a massive budget and IMAX-level production.
The in-depth involvement with the real F1 alongside pure monetary commitment was something new for the industry. Not only did the film-makers gain access to the tracks, but they were allowed to film during actual races.
This clearly worked as the movie exceeded expectations in its opening weekend. Some sources projectedit would make $115m globally; in fact, it amassed$57m in the US and more than $140m globally. To date, it has made $630m internationally.
What’s interesting about this movie, though, is how it amassed those numbers: instead of being part of a long-running franchise, it draws on the real-world appeal of Formula 1.
The movie received mixed reviews. Some F1 fans deemed it unrealisticand too abstract, but most critics agreed on the grand scale and emotional intensityof the movie. Many viewers also praised the cinematography and the music.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the movie is its implications for the film industry. The substantial viewership suggests that it isn’t only core fans, but, notably, regular audiences who share this interest.
This could mean we’ll be seeing more sports-themed movies in the future as studios look to capture similarly large audiences elsewhere. Although, as F1: The Movie has shown, to gain mass appeal the film has to be both realistic and emotionally gripping enough for different types of audiences.
The spectacle of the movie is also fascinating. It was filmed for IMAX and advertised around the world, so by the opening weekend it was already highly anticipated internationally. However, it’s worth noting that these practices often come with significant ramifications, especially cost. For a studio, the risk associated with investing approximately $400m may simply be too great.
The film tapped into growing mainstream interest in Formula 1, allowing it to reach audiences far beyond typical sports-movie fans.
Ultimately, it was a bold experiment that paid off both financially and creatively. It showed that blending the authenticity of a real-world sport with the panache of Hollywood can captivate a global audience.
Beyond its box office success, the movie’s legacy may lie in how it reshapes expectations for sports films, proving that with the right balance of realism, spectacle and storytelling, a single movie can influence the entire industry.
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