The stellar box-office performance of the animated sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown and the superhero actioner X-Men: The Last Stand is largely responsible for making 20th Century Fox International the first studio to reach the $1 billion at the international box office for the second consecutive year. In 2005, the studio hit the high water mark with a major push from Star Wars: Episode III’Revenge of the Sith.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Blue Sky Studios’ latest Ice Age adventure provided Fox with its biggest windfall so far, contributing approximately $441 million to the studio’s coffers. The film earned $192 million domestically and setting opening weekend records in 13 territories, including Austria, Switzerland, Mexico and Argentina.
Another $140 million was kicked up overseas by the third installment in popular film franchise based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men series. The film managed to dethrone The Da Vinci Code, which earned $450 million overseas and helped put Sony Pictures just behind Fox with around $811.5 million from foreign markets. Fox should continues to do well this year as Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties makes its way to cinemas this summer and Eragon leaps from the page to the screen over the winter holiday period.
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