F1: The Movie — Porsche takes you behind the scenes of Apple's box office hit
F1: The Movie has given Apple its first-ever box office hit. The racing movie starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski dominated the weekend box office in North America and also globally on its debut, raking in $55.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, and about $144 million worldwide, making it the top-performing release.
'This is star Brad Pitt's biggest global opening ever ($144 million), besting World War Z's $111.8 million, as well as his second-biggest domestic debut after that zombie movie's $66.4 million,' Boxoffice Pro commented, adding: 'It's also the biggest debut ever for Apple, who threw big marketing money at this to take it across the finish line.'
On Sunday, Porsche released a behind-the-scenes look at how Chip Hart Racing — the fictional Porsche GT endurance team that features in F1: The Movie — came together, including how it was rebranded from a real Porsche race team called Wright Motorsports.
The three-and-a-half minute video includes plenty of action footage shot by the filmmakers at the legendary Daytona racetrack in Florida. Some of the Daytona scenes were filmed during the Rolex 24 Hours event in January 2024, and involved embedding a fictional team into the real race to make the footage more realistic. Additional shots were captured away from the race, giving the moviemakers more freedom to set up specific scenes.
Porsche's video reveals the huge collaborative effort that helped bring some of the racing scenes to the big screen, at the same time showcasing the automaker's involvement in shaping the story and the racing spirit, which is a key part of the movie.
As the film's title suggests, F1: The Movie focuses on Formula 1 racing, with the Daytona footage mostly confined to the film's opening. But nevertheless, the behind-the-scenes content highlights Porsches' connection to the racing world and how it supported the movie's realistic depiction of motor racing.
'I wanted to make the most authentic racing film I could,' director Kosinski says in the video. 'Without Porsche, we wouldn't have had access to the cars, providing the training. All of that has been really incredible.'
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- New York Times
Alexander-Walker to leave Wolves, will be in high demand
Free agency officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, but we've already seen some moves. LeBron James picked up his player option, while James Harden and Julius Randle are staying put. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images David Berding / Getty Images With Naz Reid and Julius Randle in place, the Wolves will likely have to say goodbye to their other key free agent. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has likely priced himself out of Minnesota, which is trying to stay under the second apron to avoid repeater penalties on roster construction. Alexander-Walker is expected to land a deal for at least the nontaxpayer midlevel exception, and possibly higher, which is too rich for the Wolves to go to and not go over the second apron. The Wolves do have a few young guards and wings, including Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham, who the team believes are ready to step in and take Alexander-Walker's minutes should he move on. The Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat are among a number of teams to watch in the hunt for Alexander-Walker. The Wolves have very little room to operate under the second apron as free agency is set to open on Monday. They declined options on center Luka Garza and forward Josh Minott to open up a little bit more wiggle room, giving them access to the taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.7 million. But the Wolves would only use it if they felt the player would make a real impact because of how close it would take them to the second apron and hamstring them next season if injury woes hit. Adding another ball-handler would be a priority with Alexander-Walker's likely exit. The Wolves could also look at adding another traditional center to play behind Gobert. Garza could also return on a minimum deal, team sources said. The Utah Jazz tendered a qualifying offer to center Oscar Tshiebwe, league sources tell The Athletic. This will make the former Kentucky star a restricted free agent The Jazz declined a qualifying offer on center Micah Potter, making him an unrestricted free agent Harry How / Getty Images There was no retirement announcement, no planning of a farewell tour. But yesterday's news that LeBron James opted into the final year of his contract — a first for him — made one thing extremely clear: This is the beginning of the end for maybe the best player to ever grace a basketball court. It's a fascinating double dose of reality, because of course a 40-year-old player entering his 23rd season is about to retire. James will become the longest-tenured NBA player ever this year, by both season total (23, topping Vince Carter's 22) and games played (he's 49 games behind Robert Parish's total of 1,611 games). But also … I don't think I ever truly expected James to retire, only because of how unremarkable his longevity has become. His career has spanned seven presidential terms now. LeBron playing in the NBA is just a part of the fabric of our reality. Yet it will come to an end — at some point. Read on for a quick explainer on where we are. This is an excerpt from The Pulse, The Athletic's daily newsletter. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images You know how you can tell the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Dončić era has officially begun? Because LeBron James had one of his classic media moments, with his longtime agent, Rich Paul, explaining James' decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option for next season in the kind of way that would have caused concern for his employer in years past, and it was met with the organizational equivalent of a shrug emoji. His leverage isn't what it once was these days, and that has everything to do with Dončić. 'LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships,' Paul told The Athletic and ESPN. 'We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.' Only time will tell if this will be remembered as an early goodbye letter, but the tone of the messaging was such that it's fair to wonder how the LeBron-Lakers partnership will go from here. Read more on the current dynamic between James and the Lakers. GO FURTHER LeBron James' contract decision marks major Lakers shift — toward Luka Dončić Winslow Townson / Getty Images Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke has had a difficult week. While discussing the limitations for teams that venture into the second apron, a payroll threshold well above the luxury tax that restricts the types of transactions an organization can make, Kroenke dropped what most fans consider a no-no. He referenced a three-time MVP, Nikola Jokić, and the word 'trade' in the same sentence. 'For us as an organization, going into that second apron is not necessarily something that we're scared of, (but) I think that there are rules around it that we needed to be very careful of with our injury history,' Kroenke told reporters on hand. 'The wrong person gets injured, and very quickly you're into a scenario that I never want to have to contemplate, and that's trading No. 15 (Jokić). 'We're very conscious of that, pushing forward, providing the resources that we can when the moment arrives. But that second apron — is it a hard cap? I'm not 100 percent sure. But it's something that teams are very aware of.' The reaction to Kroenke's honesty was not kind. Jokić is the NBA's consensus best player. How could an owner, especially one with a reputation of not wanting to spend money, possibly mention even in passing the thought of trading the greatest star in the franchise's history just because of a lowly payroll milestone? Such penny-pinching should be only for the paupers! The answer is because the second apron — even if it does trigger extravagant tax payments — is not just about the extra dollars. Read more about the impact of the second apron in my free agency notes column. GO FURTHER NBA offseason themes to watch: Pacers' roster-building, second-apron fears and more The Trail Blazers parting ways with Deandre Ayton was long in the works. His two-year tenure in Portland was marred by tardiness, tantrums and injuries, which in part led to Portland using its last two first-round picks on centers. Apparently unable to unload his expiring $35.6 million salary, the Blazers are negotiating a contract buyout, according to league sources. In 95 games with Portland, Ayton averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, but he was unreliable on and off the court. On the court, he was sometimes benched because of effort, which led to sideline and locker room tantrums, and off the court, he was fined multiple times for being tardy to practices. He also sometimes blew off rehabilitation appointments while recovering from knee and calf injuries. He was a loud and light personality in the locker room and seemed well-liked by his teammates, but it was clear the organization didn't view him as a building block for its rebuild. Last season, Portland used the No. 7 pick on center Donovan Clingan, and this season, the Blazers selected Chinese center Yang Hansen with the 16th pick. Coach Chauncey Billups on Friday said the 7-foot-2 Yang is so talented that he will, without question, play this season, even though he is only 20. The Blazers at center also have veteran Robert Williams III and Duop Reath. In the past two seasons, Williams has appeared in only 26 games because of knee injuries, and Reath averaged 4.2 points in 46 games. GO FURTHER NBA Draft surprise: China center Yang Hansen picked at No. 16, dealt to Blazers Alika Jenner / Getty Images The Deandre Ayton buyout news is shocking, if only because Portland loses out on the possibility of dangling a $35 million expiring contract in any trade talks during the season. Depending on the size of the the haircut in his buyout, it likely affords Portland the ability to use its entire nontaxpayer midlevel exception to bring in another guard or wing who can shoot. Minus Ayton, one presumes that Robert Williams (for the 28 or so games he's healthy) and 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan (for all the others) will man the center position, with 2025 first-rounder Hansen Yang in reserve. Soobum Im / Imagn Deandre Ayton has accepted a contract buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers and will become a free agent, a league source confirmed. ESPN was first to report. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game with Portland last season. Masai Ujiri leaves the Raptors in a place he promised they would never be when he first took the job in 2013 — the mushy middle of the league. The 'stability' Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley frequently cited is a euphemism for something much more damning. The Raptors are expensive for a team that has not played a playoff game since 2022 and lack a surefire All-Star, let alone a superstar. Ujiri promised a patient rebuild after the departures of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby two seasons ago, but the Raptors got antsy quickly. There are reasons for optimism, but Ujiri leaves the Raptors with no clear North Star. Still, Ujiri provided assurances of ambition for Raptors fans. Under Ujiri, the Raptors might fail, but they would be aiming for the top. On the other hand, Edward Rogers, the executive chair of the MLSE board of directors. reportedly was a leading voice in stopping MLSE from acquiring an expansion WNBA team, eventually brought to Toronto with Larry Tanenbaum at the helm. Rogers' distaste for Ujiri's 2021 contract extension also presents some worries, even if you were more skeptical of Ujiri's track record than most within the league. Coaching and front-office contracts do not count against any cap and luxury tax, and are among the clearest ways a franchise can outspend its competition without facing team-building consequences. There were basketball reasons for firing Ujiri, but keeping the rest of his team in place suggests basketball wasn't top of mind in the decision. MLSE, in its current iteration, will have to show fans that it is willing to attack winning in the same way that Ujiri preached. If not, outsiders will rightly characterize the new ownership group as more concerned with profits than wins. That could never be said about Ujiri. He wanted to win with the Raptors, sometimes too badly. At once, his approach could be noble and short-sighted. You never had to guess at what was guiding him, though. Read the rest of my column here. GO FURTHER Raptors' firing of Masai Ujiri leaves MLSE's priorities open to questioning Jabari Smith Jr. at 24 million per year is one of those deals that just makes sense for everyone. He gets paid for five years. Houston limits their downside in relative terms and gets some upside on the number if he takes a leap developmentally. That feels right. The Hornets-Jazz trade involving Collin Sexton and Jusuf Nurkić is official. The Hornets are getting a 2030 second round pick in the deal, which still kind of doesn't make sense. The Hornets are getting the younger, cheaper (by $400k) and arguably better player in the trade. So why are they also the ones receiving the pick in this trade? Maybe someone will solve this riddle. Only time will tell if this statement by LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, will be remembered as an early goodbye letter, but the tone of the messaging was such that it's fair to wonder how the LeBron-Lakers partnership will go from here. The speculation was rampant all around the league when news of James' opt-in decision broke, with rival executives wondering if this was a precursor to a trade request (James, remember, has a no-trade clause and could thus control any such move). Or, of course, it could be yet another attempt to apply pressure to the front office to find a way to add impactful talent. Either way, it's becoming increasingly clear that — even if James doesn't retire next summer — this could be his last season in a Lakers uniform. While the Lakers most certainly care about how James' final chapter goes, and would love nothing more than to celebrate the 40-year-old's legendary career all season long before he headed off into the proverbial sunset, any plans that go beyond that point present roster-building problems when it comes to paving a path forward with the 26-year-old Luka Dončić. That's the uncomfortable truth that was laid bare Sunday. Read the rest of my column below. GO FURTHER LeBron James' contract decision marks major Lakers shift — toward Luka Dončić Troy Taormina / Imagn Led by general manager Rafael Stone, the Rockets front office has made an aggressive effort in the last few weeks to keep Houston's competitive core intact, recently signing veterans Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams to long-term deals. Houston also intends to retain Jae'Sean Tate, Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday once free agency officially opens on June 30. Talks continue with forward Tari Eason on an extension, but team sources have been adamant about their intent to keep both him and Jabari Smith Jr., two players who were highly coveted by Phoenix during trade talks surrounding Kevin Durant. Smith, who was drafted third out of Auburn in the 2022 NBA Draft, has been a key rotational figure under head coach Ime Udoka, providing floor spacing, switchability on defense and rebounding prowess. The 22-year-old, who broke his hand in January, returned to Udoka's rotation in late February after missing 22 games but had to settle for a reserve role — and has remained in one since. However, following the acquisition of Durant, Smith is expected to regain a position in the starting lineup. With the bulk of Houston's roster business done, the Rockets can turn their attention to the free-agency market, where they are expected to be aggressive in searching for additional upgrades. The Rockets are under the luxury tax, meaning they will have their full nontaxpayer midlevel exception to use in free agency, worth around $14.1 million. GO FURTHER Rockets intend to sign Jabari Smith Jr. to 5-year, $122 million extension: Sources Jim Dedmon / Imagn Entering this summer, getting another guard to initiate offense was a priority for the Hornets, especially after trading Terry Rozier in January of 2024. Trading for Collin Sexton accomplishes that. While Sexton isn't a straight-up lead guard, he has enough ability to initiate offense even alongside Ball to give head coach Charles Lee more options. Now, the Hornets can comfortably play Ball and Brandon Miller off-ball to begin offensive possessions, and utilize them on the move or have them attack off closeouts when Sexton forces the defense to collapse and recover. Sexton, who was part of the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, struggled during his first season in Utah. However, his last two seasons saw him find more of the groove you expect from him on the court. Over that span, he averaged 18.6 points and 4.6 assists on 48.4 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from 3 and 86.2 percent from the free-throw line in 27.2 minutes per game. Those are incredible individual numbers, and replicating that kind of production next to Ball and Miller could provide the boost the Hornets' 29th-ranked offense needs. The offense suffered with Ball missing so much time (he was absent from 35 games), but it would have ranked only 21st in the NBA with his on-court offensive rating. So, this deal signals an improvement, but not enough for the Hornets to be truly competitive. The concern becomes how this team defends with Sexton and Ball in the backcourt together. Also, what are the Hornets going to do with their big-man rotation? Read on to find out why I gave the Hornets a "B" for this trade and what I gave the Jazz. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Collin Sexton help the Hornets get more creative on offense? Jack Gorman / Getty Images This five-year, $122 million Jabari Smith Jr. extension with the Houston Rockets is really interesting. It won't kick in until the 2026-27 season. If it's a flat deal, he'll make $24.4 million in the first year of the deal, which would be just 14.3 percent of the projected salary cap that year (assuming another 10-percent jump). The number may seem pretty big for Smith but he'll be making less in relative dollars than Jaden McDaniels and RJ Barrett. In terms of a percentage of the cap, Smith basically got the De'Andre Hunter extension, just a year longer (thanks new CBA). It should be a contract that ages well for the Rockets, too. If the contract is flat, Smith will be making just more than the nontaxpayer midlevel exception in the fifth year (assuming 10 percent increases in the cap every year, which is no guarantee). If it's a decreasing deal, he might be making less than the midlevel by the final season. That should be good value for the Rockets for a player who will be 27 that season and presumably will have improved from today. Kavin Mistry / Getty Images Even after Orlando traded for Desmond Bane earlier this month, team officials are painfully aware that they need to make further moves to improve their 3-point shooting and upgrade their depth at point guard. The list of unrestricted free-agent point guards includes Chris Paul, Ty Jerome, Dennis Schröder, Malcolm Brogdon and Spencer Dinwiddie. But the potential target who might make the most sense — and whose contract may be the most affordable — for the cap-strapped Magic is Tyus Jones, 29. The Magic inquired about Jones' availability before the 2023-24 season's trade deadline when Jones played for the Washington Wizards on an expiring contract, league sources told The Athletic. Jones shot 41 percent from 3-point range during the 2023-24 season with the Wizards and shot an identical 41 percent from 3-point range last season as a member of the Phoenix Suns. Jones also is sure-handed, regularly finishing among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. If Orlando is interested in Jones, and if he is interested in Orlando, he would provide the team with a more traditional point guard — and a contrast to incumbents Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black, who are elite defenders who on offense appear more comfortable at this stage of their careers as spot-up shooters (with 3-point shooting strokes that need to become much more consistent, especially in Black's case). Read more on the Magic's plans here. GO FURTHER Magic decline Moe Wagner's team option. Is finding a point guard next for Orlando?
