The studio announced on Tuesday (20) that Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows has reached $529m worldwide to overtake the predecessor’s final tally of $524.4m.

The sequel took $342.3m internationally and $186.7m in North America and led the international box office for three consecutive weeks in January. It opened top in North America on Dec 16 2011 and remained in the top ten for six weeks.

“Rolling out this film internationally has been tremendously exciting, as the film has clearly resonated with audiences around the globe,” president of international distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said.

“The first Sherlock Holmes was such a tremendous success overseas, and to surpass that number in these same markets is truly a remarkable achievement. We congratulate the filmmakers and cast, as well as our international teams, on these excellent results.”