Universal Pictures International announced that the studio has crossed the $2 billion at the overseas box office for the first time in studio history. Here’s the full announcement:
Universal Pictures International (UPI) today announced that with yesterdays box office grosses, the studio has passed $2 billion at the international box office for the first time in its 101-year history. Earlier this year, UPI broke its record for the fastest climb to $1 billion at the box office and shattered its 2012 record for the highest box office ever, which was $1.794 billion.
The success overseas has been fueled by a string of box office hits across multiple genres including Les Misérables ($293 million), Mama ($76.1 million), Oblivion ($197.2 million), Fast & Furious 6 ($549.3 million), and Despicable Me 2 ($485.4 million). Fast & Furious 6 and Despicable Me 2 are the second and third highest grossing films at the international box office this year, respectively. Despicable Me 2 is the highest grossing animated film of 2013.
2013 international highlights include:
· Universal Pictures films dominated the worldwide box office on six weekends in 2013 including Oblivions No. 1 opening, Fast 6 which was No. 1 twice and Despicable Me 2 which was No. 1 worldwide for three weeks.
· Fast & Furious 6 opened No. 1 in 65 territories and was Universals biggest opening of all-time in 41 of those markets. The film also provided the studio with its highest opening weekend ever at the international box office. Fast 6 is the second highest-grossing film of 2013 and Universals second highest-grossing film of all-time behind Jurassic Park.
· Despicable Me 2 opened No. 1 in 46 territories and is Universals highest grossing film of all time in 16 of those territories. It is also the highest grossing film of 2013 in France, Mexico, the U.K. and Venezuela.
· Les Misérables is the second highest-grossing musical overseas and worldwide behind Universals Mamma Mia!
· Oblivion opened in the No. 1 spot in 49 territories and was Tom Cruises biggest opening of all-time in Russia and Indonesia.
There is still much to look forward to in 2013 including the continued international rollout of About Time, a comedy from writer and director Richard Curtis and the epic 3D feature starring Keanu Reeves in his explosive return to the action-adventure genre, 47 Ronin. UPI will also release 11 films in select territories through the end of the year, including The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Academy Award®-winner Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, in nine markets.
