Will “F1” finally deliver a commercial hit for Apple?

The tech giant’s big-budget racing drama, starring Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver who is coerced out of retirement to coach a slick rookie (Damson Idris), is targeting a promising $50 million to $60 million in its debut. Given the rarity of adult-skewing tentpoles that aren’t part of existing film franchises, projections appear to be all over the place with some tracking services suggesting a $35 million to $40 million start.

“F1” represents a major gamble for Apple, which has entered the theatrical space with epic ambitions (“Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon” were two early swings) but not a single profitable film to show for it. “F1” carries a hefty budget above $200 million and needs to become a global hit to justify its price tag and validate Apple’s big screen commitment.

Internationally, “F1” is aiming to collect $75 million or more from 77 markets. Warner Bros. is distributing the movie for Apple.

Given the international popularity of the Formula One sport, overseas audiences are expected to boost the commercial prospects of the movie, which boasts seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as a producer. Then there’s director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who happen to know a little something about crafting crowd-pleasers, having worked together on 2022’s billion-dollar blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” with Tom Cruise.

There’s also the reality that Apple has a $3 trillion market cap, meaning the company can view a film’s triumph or failure differently than traditional studios. Apple also has unique ways to entice consumers, such as offering moviegoers who use Apple Pay a $10 discount when they buy two or more tickets on Fandango.

“F1” is expected to race to the top of domestic box office charts. Meanwhile this weekend’s other major release, “M3GAN 2.0,” is poised to compete with the live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” remake for No. 2. Other notable holdovers that’ll round out the top five include Sony’s zombie thriller “28 Years Later” and Disney’s Pixar adventure “Elio.”

“M3GAN 2.0” is the sequel to Universal and Blumhouse’s 2023 campy sleeper hit “M3GAN” and will test whether the murderous doll with killer dance movies is still the box office it-girl or just a one-off viral phenomenon. The follow-up film is aiming for $20 million in its opening weekend. That’s a softer start compared to the first film, which ignited to $30.4 million during the notorious box office dead zone of January. The scream queen who became a meme queen is returning to theaters during the comparatively packed summer movie season.

“M3GAN 2.0” carries a modest $25 million price tag and won’t require a ton of coinage to turn a profit in its theatrical life. Written and directed by Gerard Johnstone, the film picks up as the scientist played by Allison Williams, who originally helped create the pint-sized agent of chaos, has to rebuild M3GAN with advanced upgrades to stop a humanoid military robot that’s attempting an AI takeover. (Escapism!) A spinoff, titled “Soulm8te,” is set for 2026.