Disney’s bet on a galaxy far, far away is paying off big time.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the latest installment of the space opera franchise, saw a weekend box office debut of $290 million, the studio said Monday. That pushed Disney to a record $7 billion gross for the year, making it the first studio to do so.
That $7 billion consists of $2.7 billion in profits in the U.S. and nearly $4.3 billion internationally. Its all-time high profits were primarily driven by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted in December 2015, but earned more than one-third of its $2 billion global profits in 2016.
Other movies that propelled Disney (DIS) to its record profits included the Marvel Universe’s Captain America: Civil War, Pixar’s Finding Dory, animated film Zootopia and live-action movie The Jungle Book.
Last year, Universal set the global box office high at $6.89 billion, helped by Jurassic World, Minions and Furious 7. The previous record, of $5.5 billion, was set by 20th Century Fox, which produced hits like X-Men: Days of Future Past and How to Train Your Dragon.
Disney said it remains optimistic about its prospects for next year. Anticipated blockbusters include the live-action Beauty and the Beast, with a March release date, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in May, and Star Wars: Episode VIII in December.
