MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures International has crossed the $2 billion threshold at the international box office, as it gears up for a fourth quarter that includes releases such as Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, George Miller’s Happy Feet Two, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, and Garry Marshall’s New Year’s Eve. The Division hits this benchmark for the fourth time.

This achievement follows the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the final adventure in the film series, which smashed international records to become the biggest Harry Potter film and the highest grossing film of the year and the third-highest international release of all time, with an astounding $857 million and counting. The Studio kicked off the summer with Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part II, followed by Horrible Bosses.

"Even beyond the amazing performance of our final Harry Potter film, this has been a spectacular year for the Studio. These incredible numbers are a testament to the diverse and powerful mix of films that our studio releases, along with the hard work and insight of our international distribution teams around the world. We’re tremendously gratified to reach this benchmark with so many exciting films yet to come," said Warner Bros. Pictures president of international distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek.

Warner Bros Pictures International has been the market leader in six of the last 10 years. The division has surpassed $1 billion in grosses a total of 14 years, 11 of which were consecutive years, and crossed $2 billion four times. At $2.93 billion, last year’s record remains the highest ever international gross for a single studio. This year, the division crossed the $2 billion threshold two months ahead of its record for last year.