Universal Hits $1 Billion Overseas Faster Than Ever Before

The official release from Universal:

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA -- Universal Pictures International (UPI) today announced that the studio has reached $1 billion at the international box office. This is the earliest the studio has reached that milestone in history, besting a previous record set on July 17, 2012 through the performance of such global hits as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, American Reunion, Snow White and the Huntsman and Ted. 2013 marks the seventh year in a row that Universal has reached $1 billion internationally. In 2012, the studio enjoyed its highest grossing year at the international box office with $1.794 billion in total grosses.

Universal's early success in 2013 has been fueled by a winning slate of diverse films across multiple genres including Les Misérables ($238.9 million), Mama ($74.9 million), Identity Thief ($39.8 million) and Oblivion ($180.4 million). Fast & Furious 6 pushed the international grosses over $1 billion with its record breaking opening last weekend and terrific midweek performance. In just over a week, Fast & Furious 6 has grossed $259.4 million at the international box office.

There is still much to look forward to in 2013 with Fast & Furious 6 opening in six more international markets; the first micro-budget film under the studio's production partnership with Jason Blum, The Purge; Chris Meledandri and Illumination Entertainment's 3D-CG comedy adventure Despicable Me 2; the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D., starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds; the third installment of director Edgar Wright's trilogy of comedies starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, The World's End; the new chapter of the action-comedy Kick-Ass 2 from director Jeff Wadlow; a romantic comedy from Working Title and writer/director Richard Curtis, About Time; the long-awaited next chapter to the film that ushered in a new era of comedy from writer, director and producer Malcolm D. Lee, The Best Man Holiday and the epic 3D feature starring Keanu Reeves in his explosive return to the action-adventure genre, 47 Ronin.