For the third time in less than two years, a Disney 3D movie has surpassed $1 billion in global box-office Saturday, this time Disney’s and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
It becomes only the eighth film in history to hit that plateau, and only the fourth film in Disney studio history to do so, after the second “Pirates” episode, “Dead Man’s Chest” in 2006, followed by two 3D movies of 2010, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Toy Story 3.”
No other studio has had more than one movie hit $1 billion. Disney has five of the 10 biggest movies of all-time.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has shown us just how strongly this story and these characters resonate with people the world over,” said Rich Ross, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios, in a statement this morning, Monday, July 4. “To reach $1 billion with any film is such a rare and exciting milestone, and I want to thank and congratulate Jerry Bruckheimer, Johnny Depp, Rob Marshall and the rest of our Pirates family on this incredible feat.”
After launching with the biggest international opening ever, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” now ranks as the #3 film of all time at the international box office and Disney’s biggest overseas release ever, with a total gross of $774 million (as of 7/4/11). The film sailed past the $500 million international threshold in a record-setting 14 days and is the biggest “Pirates of the Caribbean” installment in 59 territories. In Japan, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” has passed $100 million USD, having spent its first six weeks at the top of the box office chart. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” became the highest-grossing Disney film ever released in the burgeoning Chinese and Russian markets in just nine and 11 days respectively, its opening weekend surpassing the entire gross of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in each market.
“There can be no greater thrill or satisfaction than knowing that you’ve been fortunate enough to produce a series of films which have delighted millions all over the world,” said Jerry Bruckheimer. “The success of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ is a testament to the great talents of Johnny Depp and our wonderful cast, director Rob Marshall, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and the entire company.”
Director Rob Marshall adds, “I am thrilled that ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ has been embraced by the global audience in such a profound way. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to make a movie that reaches across the world.”
The four “Pirates of the Caribbean” films have earned a combined $3.68 billion in global box office, with the second, third and fourth claiming spots on the all-time top 10 list. Series star Johnny Depp – who also headlined Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” – now has four films on that list, three of which have surpassed the billion-dollar threshold.
— By Scott Hettrick