Sony Pictures ReleasingInternational (SPRI) has announced that it passed $1bn in grosses today(Aug 24)- a record time for the company. The previous record for the studio wasSept 8, 2002, when the company went on to take $1.3bn in international grosses.

So far in 2006, the companyhas taken $2.1bn in worldwide grosses and it will be looking to beat itsworldwide best of $2.878bn in 2002 with upcoming releases like first Bond film CasinoRoyale, The Pursuit Of Happyness starringWill Smith and Sony Pictures Animation's first feature Open Season.

Leading the SPRI pack thisyear was Columbia's The Da Vinci Code which has grossed some $535m to date to become SPRI's biggest grossingfilm ever. It also set a record for the biggest international weekend openingof all time, taking $154.7m in May.

Also contributing to the2006 total were Fun With Dick And Jane, Memoirs Of A Geisha, Yours,Mine And Ours and The Exorcism OfEmily Rose.