"Skyfall" became the highest-grossing James Bond film ever this weekend, and pushed Sony Pictures Entertainment over the top for its best box-office year at more than $4 billion worldwide.
"Skyfall," the 23rd James Bond movie, raised it overall worldwide box office total to $669.2 million, passing the previous-best $599.2 million worldwide total taken in by "Casino Royale" in 2006. "Skyfall" grossed $49.6 million overseas this week, bringing its international total to $507.9 million. It added another $41 million in its second week in the U.S., where its overall gross is $161.
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The milestone caps a big year for Sony, which is the top-ranked studio at the box office and has had nine No. 1 films. This year, Sony has brought in $1.6 billion domestically and a studio record $2.4 billion overseas.
In addition to "Skyfall," the studio's biggest earners included "The Amazing Spider-Man" ($754 million worldwide), "Men in Black 3" ($624 million), and Sony Pictures. Animation's "Hotel Transylvania" ($283 million worldwide).
"Exceeding $4 billion globally is a true rarity in this industry and it's an extraordinary accomplishment for all of us at Sony Pictures," said Jeff Blake, chairman of worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony Pictures, in a press release. "From 'The Amazing Spider Man' and 'Skyfall' to '21 Jump Street,' 'Resident Evil,' The Vow' and 'Hotel Transylvania,' we couldn't be more proud of the way our films have performed all over the world."
Sony Pictures Entertainment has one more film on its release calendar, "Zero Dark Thirty," from the team behind "The Hurt Locker," director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal. Zero Dark Thirty will receive a limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 19.
"Skyfall" is from Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.