'Toy Story 3' to cross $1 billion boxoffice mark

LOS ANGELES - Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3" is the gift that just keeps on giving at the box office.

The animated movie sequel, which ranks seventh among all-time worldwide grossing films, is expected to cross the $1 billion mark on Friday, according to the studio, making Disney the first company to field two $1 billion blockbusters in the same year

Earlier this year, Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," also crossed that line and currently stands in fifth place in the all-time worldwide rankings with $1.024 billion.

Disney has one other previous movie in the $1 billion club: 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which ranks fourth with $1.066 billion.

On the North American domestic box office all-time chart, "Toy Story 3" ranks ninth with $404.6 million. As of Thursday, the movie had collected more than $592.9 million internationally, to become Disney's largest international animated release.

Latin America contributed $138 million, making the movie the highest-grossing Disney film ever released in the region.

It is also the most successful U.K. release in Disney history and currently stands as the fourth biggest title in that territory's history with $102.4 million in box office receipts to date.

In Japan, it has taken in $111.2 million and spent five consecutive weeks as the No. 1 movie.

"It's been an incredible year as we saw the Pixar team bring Buzz and Woody back to the big screen and watched Tim Burton's vision for 'Alice in Wonderland' take the world by storm," Disney studios chairman Rich Ross said.

"These box office triumphs prove that creative storytelling brought to life by imaginative, inspired and talented professionals is something audiences respond to the world over."

With "Toy Story 3" muscling its way into the select circle of $1 billion grossing movies, three of the seven entries in that exclusive club were presented in 3D. In addition to "Alice" and "Toy," Fox's "Avatar" tops the list with $2.74 billion.