Movies

Paramount Pictures takes 2011 top market share with $5.17 billion

Published Tuesday, Jan 3 2012, 08:42 GMT | By Hugh Armitage | Add comment

Paramount Pictures was the highest grossing international film studio in 2011.

The company ended Warner Bros' three-year winning streak, taking a record $5.17 billion (£3.32 billion) worldwide.

Paramount was also placed first in the North American market share, taking $1.96 billion (£1.26 billion) with the 16 new movies it distributed in 2011.

It took $3.21 billion (£2.06 billion) outside the North American market, becoming the first film studio to pass the $3 billion mark.

"Over the last six years, we've achieved everything we hoped we would," Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey told The Hollywood Reporter.

"We had three major franchise titles in 2011, Michael Bay's Dark of the Moon, Paranormal Activity 3 and the recalibration of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, with Tom Cruise doing a great job."

Warner Bros took the second spot with a total of $4.67 billion (£3 billion).

Paramount will celebrate its centenary in 2012.

Watch Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol director Brad Bird talking to Digital Spy below: