Universal Pictures breaks box office record in just seven months

50 Shades of Grey is one of several blockbuster hits for Universal

Universal Pictures, one of the big six American film studios, has broken the record for the highest annual gross at the international box office for a single studio.

With US$5.53 billion (NZ$8.4 billion), the studio has surpassed the previous record of US$5.52 billion, set last December by 20th Century Fox.

What's most notable about this feat is that it is only August. Universal has creamed the competition and taken the record in only seven months, while it took 20th Century all of 2014 to set the previous record.

Universal has topped box offices around the world this year with a string of commercially successful films, including Fifty Shades of Grey, Pitch Perfect 2 and Minions. Their two biggest films of 2015, Jurassic World and Furious 7, are the third and fifth highest grossing movies of all time.

Jurassic World is just one of the blockbuster films that has seen Universal become the highest-earning Hollywood studio.

Donna Langley, Chairman of Universal Pictures, said of their success: "We are in business with some of the most talented people in the industry, and the success of our slate this year is a testament to the creativity and vision of our film-makers."

The studio still has ten more movies to come out this year, including Everest, about the 1996 climbing disaster, and the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler led Sisters, which will only further the studio's lead.

The Guardian reports that their closest competition right now is Disney. The studio passed US$3 billion (NZ$4.5 billion) at the box office in July. While they may not pass Universal's record, they stand a chance at surpassing Jurassic World as the highest grossing film of the year, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens expected to gross well when it comes out in December.

- nzherald.co.nz