Universal Pictures International has set a new record for the most successful year ever at the global box office for a Hollywood studio – and the year is only at the two-thirds mark. Huge hits including “Jurassic World” and “Furious 7” have contributed to a worldwide haul of $3.78 billion so far, beating the previous record of $3.73 billion set by 20th Century Fox’s overall 2014 take. The studio, headquartered in Universal City, has had four of the five biggest earning films internationally this year, headed by “Furious 7,” which has raked in $1.2 billion, followed by “Jurassic World” with $984 million, “Minions” with $670 million and “Fifty Shades of Grey” with $404 million. And the studio’s haul will grow over the next four months. Current U.S. box-office champ “Straight Outta Compton” begins its international rollout this weekend. Also upcoming is the biopic “Steve Jobs,” adventure film “Everest” and Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie project “By The Sea.” All together, these films could help push the studio’s box-office total past the $4 billion mark. “We are very proud of the overwhelming success we have had at the international box office,” said Duncan Clark, Universal Pictures’ president of distribution, in a statement. “With nine titles on our slate still awaiting release, we are excited at what the remainder of the year has to offer.”
