Apple has its first box-office hit. “F1 The Movie” debuted with $55.6 million in North American theaters and $144 million globally over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing the tech company easily its biggest opening yet.

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,