Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, and Zootopia have pushed the Disney Studios to its biggest year ever at the global box office.
Disney has earned $5.85 billion in global ticket sales through Nov. 1, racing past its previous record of $5.84 billion, which Disney set in 2015.
That figure should climb: Disney still has several high-profile releases this year, among them “Doctor Strange,” which hits U.S. theaters on Friday, the family film “Moana,” and “Star Wars: Rogue One.”
Disney became the fastest studio to hit $2 billion domestically, $3 billion internationally, and $5 billion globally.
But the record for annual box office revenues still belongs to Universal, which racked up $6.89 billion in 2015 due to blockbusters “Furious 7” and “Jurassic World.”
Still, Disney is on track to surpass that mark, given the likely windfall that a new “Star Wars” adventure, Marvel movie, and animated offering will enjoy. Those films should close the $1 billion gap that exists between Disney’s current theatrical revenues and the record established by Universal.
The results come from the success of expensive bets by Disney chief Bob Iger. Since taking over in 2005, Iger has spent $7.4 billion to buy Pixar, $4 billion for LucasFilm, and $4 billion for Marvel. Those acquisitions have given the studio access to the premiere animation creator, and the gallery of Marvel and “Star Wars” characters.
