Disney Sets Box-Office Record

Amid a storm of negative publicity, Walt Disney Co.’s movie studio has something to crow about: setting an industry record with more than $3 billion in worldwide box-office receipts for the year.

The news came during a week in which Disney head Michael Eisner has been under siege from Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold, who quit the board and blasted the chief executive for weak leadership and a lack of vision.

The company has dismissed the criticisms.

Much of the success can be attributed to the performance of Disney’s movie division, which turned out such hits as “Finding Nemo,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and “Bringing Down the House.”

Disney’s 2003 movies have grossed $1.48 billion in North American theaters and $1.6 billion in the international market. The total eclipses the previous industry record of $2.86 billion set last year by Sony Pictures.

The studio’s most successful releases -- Disney and Pixar Animation Studios’ underwater comedy “Finding Nemo” and Disney’s theme-park-ride-turned-big-screen-adventure “Pirates of the Caribbean” -- each grossed more than $300 million domestically and are the top two grossing movies of 2003.

Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook gave much of the credit to his production chief, Nina Jacobson: “She put together a fantastic group of movies with talented filmmakers.”

Disney has several movies in theaters, including “The Haunted Mansion,” and has a release due out Dec. 19, “Calendar Girls.”