Film
Universal Pictures Puts A Stamp on Milestone Summer
2013 marks the highest summer market share in Universal Pictures history, (currently 17.79 percent of total market share and a 35.65 percent increase from 2012), besting the record set in 2003.
Universal's early summer success has generated sustained results, particularly for the Illumination Entertainment blockbuster Despicable Me 2. The animated sequel reached a milestone over the weekend, grossing $805.8 million at the global box office to date and becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year behind only Iron Man 3. It's also the highest-grossing animated film of 2013 and the seventh highest-grossing animated film ever. In addition, it's the studio's second highest-grossing film of all-time worldwide behind Jurassic Park and Universal's most profitable film in its history.
Speaking of Jurassic Park, the franchise's 3D retooling of the 1993 classic was the No. 1 film at the international box office last weekend, grossing $28.9 million. The film also opened No. 1 in China last Tuesday and became the fourth highest-grossing opening of the year in that territory.
Universal’s other top earner of summer, Fast & Furious 6 ($787.0 million), represents the third highest-grossing film of 2013 worldwide. The film opened No. 1 in all 66 territories where it was released and scored Universal’s highest worldwide opening in the studio’s history.
Fast & Furious 6 briefly became Universal’s highest grossing franchise ever before it was unseated by Despicable Me 2.
The surprise of summer came from Universal’s first micro-budget film under the studio’s production deal with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, The Purge, which opened at No. 1 and grossed ten times its production budget on its opening weekend. To date, it's grossed $84.5 million worldwide with 14 international territories still to open.
Since June 2012, Universal Pictures has released 18 films of all scales, 11 of which opened at No. 1 domestically, most recently, 2 Guns.
