Sony Pictures "Worldwide Juggernaut"

Disc Announcements, News

Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Today, Jeff Blake, chairman, worldwide marketing and distribution for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and vice chairman of SPE, announced that for the first time in the studio’s history, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) will exceed more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales tomorrow, December 8th.

This milestone achievement, reached with three weeks still to go in 2006, marks just the fourth time in motion picture history that any studio has reached the $3 billion mark in a single year.

2006 marks the third time in the past five years that SPE has been the #1 studio in domestic market share. As Sony finishes the year, the studio controls over 18% of all tickets sold in the United States and Canada. Led by The Da Vinci Code the worldwide blockbuster that has grossed over $750 million at the box office, SPE has seen four films exceed more than $100 million in domestic box office — including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, and Casino Royale— and five more have surpassed the $100 million worldwide threshold (The Pink Panther, Monster House, Open Season, Underworld: Evolution, and Little Man).

Commenting on the announcement, Blake said, “This is the kind of year that is pretty hard to top. Hitting $3 billion in worldwide box office is an incredible accomplishment in every way. The fact that we are reaching this peak by potentially passing the domestic industry box office record while at the same time enjoying our best year ever internationally is just a staggering achievement that makes us all very proud. This isn’t the result of just one film — our entire slate really worked this year, and credit for our success goes first and foremost to the extraordinary filmmakers and actors that brought us ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ ‘Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,’ ‘Click,’ ‘Casino Royale,’ ‘The Pink Panther,’ ‘Underworld: Evolution,’ ‘Monster House,’ ‘Open Season,’ and so many others.”

The studio reached its landmark achievement in a year that featured a record 12 films opening at #1 and strong performances from all the labels under the Sony Pictures Entertainment banner: Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, Revolution Studios, TriStar Pictures, and co-productions in association with MGM.

SPE reaches the $3 billion mark with two films yet to debut in 2006: the romantic comedy The Holiday, in theaters tomorrow and The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith, set for December 15.

Travis Leamons is one of the Inside Pulse Originals and currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Inside Pulse Movies. He's told that the position is his until he's dead or if "The Boss" can find somebody better. I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun. That's an order!