The milestone caps a remarkable run for Sony/MGM/Eon’s James Bond thriller several weeks after it became Sony’s biggest global release. It has become the first film to cross £100m in the UK.

After eight weekends in action Skyfall added $10.3m from 3,225 screens in 60 Sony and MGM markets to reach $710.6m internationally.

A further $4.6m from 1,637 North American theatres boosted the tally there to $289.6m through Sony. By Sunday [Dec 30] the combined worldwide tally stood at $1.0002bn.

The film had record-breaker written all over as soon as it opened in the UK in late October, when $59.8m (£37.2m) set a new mark for an opening weekend in the territory.

Within 40 days Skyfall had become the biggest release of all time in the UK. By Dec 30 it had amassed $161.6m (£99.95m).

The global tally will swell further when Skyfall arrives in China in January.

Sam Mendes directed the 007 adventure and Daniel Craig stars alongside Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe.