Thanks to the final Harry Potter film and the raunchy comedy "The Hangover Part II," Warner Bros. racked up $4.7 billion worldwide in 2011, the studio announced on Friday.
That's a lordly sum, but Warner Bros. did have to surrender its box-office crown to rival Paramount, which grossed $5.17 billion this year.
It also falls short of the $4.8 billion the studio generated in the previous year. However, in a release touting the announcement, Warner's notes that 2011's gross makes it the first studio to ever exceed $4 billion globally for three consecutive years.
Domestically, the studio made north of $1.83 billion.
Foreign markets continued to be a source of strength for Warner Bros., with the studio earning $2.87 billion internationally last year on a tentpole heavy slate that included new installments of its Final Destination and Sherlock Holmes franchises.
“Our 2011 slate saw a broad range of hits that encompassed comedy, action, suspense, and, of course, a little magic," Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Picture Group, said in a statement. "We share these successes with our production partners, as well as all those who worked so hard, not only to make the movies but to bring them to a worldwide audience.”
Leading the pack for the studios was its farewell to the its mega-grossing boy wizard saga, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” which earned more than $1.33 billion worldwide. Joining it in the hit column were “The Hangover Part II” ($586 million, worldwide), “Horrible Bosses” ($215 million, worldwide), “Final Destination 5” ($164 million, worldwide), “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” ($148 million, worldwide), and “Contagion” ($141 million, worldwide), and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” which has grossed $286 million worldwide to date.
Less successful were "Green Lantern," the adaptation of the comic book series, which garnered a lackluster $219 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, and "Happy Feet 2," which flapped its way to an underwhelming $122 million on a $140 million budget.
