California: Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), has generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales overseas this year crossing over the billion dollar milestone for only the third time in the studio's history. To date, SPE has generated approximately $2.4 billion in worldwide ticket sales, and the studio is aggressively moving towards the industry's #1 yardstick of performance -- the worldwide box office record of $2.68 billion set by 20th Century Fox in 1998 when that studio was propelled by the international success of the Oscar winner Titanic.

With four months remaining in the calendar year, SPE's $2.4 billion is the industry's fifth largest worldwide gross of all-time, and it is the studio's best performance ever, topping the 2.34 billion earned globally by SPE in 1997. This year the results can attributed to the phenomenon of Spider-Man, which has generated $400 million overseas ($800 million worldwide); Men in Black II, which has accumulated approximately $225 million in the territories where the film has opened ($420 million worldwide); and the jodie Foster suspense thriller Panic Room, which has deposited nearly $100 million towards the billion dollar equator.

The overseas box office record for CTFDI was previously set in 2000 when the studio generated $1.077 billion dollars in foreign ticket sales releasing titles such as Stuart Little, Erin Brockovich, Charlie's Angels.

An official release informs that the studio also crossed the billion dollar milestone in 1997 with hits like Men in Black, Jerry Maguire.

The Vin Diesel actioner XXX has just begun its worldwide run of #1 openings and will release in the country shortly

The release says that credit for the performance lies with the international marketing and distribution teams led by Senior Executive VP of CTFDI Mark Zucker, and Senior Executive VP, International Marketing for CTFDI Nigel Clark. The stuio points out that sa few titles like Stuart Little 2 and Mr. Deeds have still to be released in some territories.

Towards the end of the year the studio hopes to beat Fox's record with fims such as I Spy with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson and Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights.

SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.