Universal Pictures is having quite a year - East Idaho News
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Universal Pictures is having quite a year

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It’s hard to believe that in a year where Disney’s movie lineup includes an Avengers sequel, two Pixar releases and “Star Wars: Episode VII” that another studio might still come out on top as 2015’s overall box-office champ.

But, to put it mildly, this has been a banner year for Universal Pictures.

With four months to go, Universal has already broken the record for cumulative box office for a single studio in a year, having pulled in more than $5.5 billion worldwide, according to CNN.

The 103-year-old studio behind classics like “Dracula,” “Psycho,” “Jaws” and “E.T.” likewise set a new record for overseas markets. Of its overall $5.5 billion haul, around $3.8 billion (just shy of 70 percent) has come from foreign ticket sales. By itself, “Furious 7” — Universal’s first big hit of the year — generated $1.16 billion overseas ($1.51 billion including domestic gross), making it the first movie not directed by James Cameron to cross $1 billion outside of the U.S.

Factoring in domestic box office, two other Universal releases have also crossed the $1 billion line. Holding the top spot at $1.64 billion worldwide, “Jurassic World” managed to beat out “Marvel’s The Avengers” ($1.52 billion) as the third highest-grossing movie of all time after “Avatar” ($2.79 billion) and “Titanic” ($2.19 billion), while “Minions” ($1.05 billion) surpassed “The Lion King” ($987 million) to make it the third highest-grossing animated movie of all time after “Frozen” ($1.27 billion) and “Toy Story 3” ($1.06 billion).

Universal’s other top-grossers include the musical comedy “Pitch Perfect 2” ($285 million worldwide), which earned more in its opening weekend than the original “Pitch Perfect” did in its entire domestic release, as well as a string of R-rated hits like “Fifty Shades of Grey” ($570 million), “Ted 2” ($190 million), “Straight Outta Compton” ($141 million) and “Trainwreck” ($129 million).

Noticeably absent from Universal’s lineup, though, are two of Hollywood’s favorite genres right now: superhero movies and young adult adaptations.

Before anyone leaps to the conclusion that this could mark the end of the era of costume-wearing heroes dominating the box office, it should be remembered that “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is still the second highest-grossing movie of the year so far.

Rather, if there is a lesson to be learned from Universal’s remarkable year of movies, it might be that audiences are open to more diverse types of entertainment than is sometimes assumed.

It helps, too, that several other major studios are having a downright abysmal year. Sony’s biggest hit so far in 2015, for instance, has been “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” which, worldwide, earned just $107 million.

With a third of the year remaining, Universal still has a diverse bunch of titles waiting in the wings, including some heavy hitters like Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak,” the Jake Gyllenhaal mountain climbing drama “Everest,” Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs biopic (titled, appropriately enough, “Steve Jobs”) and Angelina Jolie’s next directorial effort, “By the Sea,” starring Brad Pitt.

Whether or not Universal can hold onto its box-office title in the face of Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” and a new Star Wars movie, for right now, at least, it’s safe to say that Universal is having the best year ever.

(Box office data take from Box Office Mojo.)

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Thanks to Fat Cats in Rexburg for providing screenings for movie reviews on EastIdahoNews.com.

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