Walt Disney Studios crosses $4-billion mark at global box office

Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday it has crossed the $4-billion mark at the global box office, beating its previous studio record by about six weeks.

As of Oct. 7, the studio has collected $1.4 billion in the U.S. and Canada and $2.575 billion internationally. This is the third consecutive year the studio has surpassed the $4-billion box office milestone.

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“2015 has been a record-setting year both domestically and internationally thanks to a strong slate of films from all of our brands,� Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution, said in a statement. “With an incredible pipeline of both original stories and anticipated sequels featuring our most beloved characters, we are set to deliver some fantastic movies well into the future.�

The news comes on the heels of successful summer films such as “Inside Out,� from Disney’s Pixar division, which has made more than $800 million globally. It is the No. 3 film of the year domestically.

Disney also propelled past $4 billion with help from Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,�which has made $458.9 million domestically and $946 million internationally, and “Cinderella,� which collected $201.1 million domestic and $341.4 million internationally.

Disney’s J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Wars� installment, which hits theaters Dec. 18, is still on deck. It was ranked the most anticipated movie of 2015, according to a Fandango survey.

In its announcement, Disney also outlined its release schedule for upcoming films in the coming years.

“Cars 3� will hit theaters June 16, 2017. “Toy Story 4� is pushed back a year from June 16, 2017 to June 15, 2018. “Ant-Man and the Wasp� will hit theaters July 6, 2018. “Captain Marvel� is moved to March 8, 2019 from its original Nov. 2, 2018 spot. “The Incredibles 2� is now slated for June 21, 2019.

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