Disney crosses $4 billion at the global box office for 2013

Walt Disney Pictures has announced that it has broken the $4 billion mark at the global box office this year for the first time in history, thanks in no small part to smash hits such Thor: The Dark World, Monsters University and Oz the Great and Powerful, not to mention 2013's highest-grossing movie Iron Man 3.

Disney's previous best year was 2010 when the studio pulled in $3.791 billion, while this marks the eighth consecutive year that the Mouse House has reached $1 billion in North America and the fourth consecutive year it has surpassed $2 billion internationally. The studio still has two other big releases in play this year in the CG-animated Frozen and live-action Saving Mr. Banks, which stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney himself.

Disney has several big releases planned for next year, including Muppets Most Wanted, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Maleficent, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6 and Into the Woods, but it's 2015 where the studio really looks like it could shatter records, with a live-action Cinderella and The Jungle Book, Tomorrowland, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Star Wars: Episode VII all set for release.