Finding Dory has opened with a record-breaking $9.2 million on Thursday night. The Disney-Pixar sequel had the biggest Thursday debut of all time for an animated film.
Finding Dory may even challenge 2007’s “Shrek the Third,” which currently holds the record for the largest North American opening weekend for an animated movie with $121.6 million. Last year’s Minions is in second at $115.7 million.
Finding Nemo
Nemo, the story of a fish separated from his father, grossed $936.7 million globally and won an Oscar for best animated feature. The sequel reunites original director Andrew Stanton with stars Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres. Stanton’s co-director Angus MacLane is making his filmmaking debut.
The new adventure finds Dory, a blue tang who suffers from short-term memory loss, scouring the ocean in search of her long-lost parents. Disney did not provide a budget, but Pixar films typically carry price tags between $175 million to $200 million.
Reviews are almost universally positive: Finding Dory is enjoying a 95% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Online ticket service Fandango reported this week that Finding Dory had becomes its top preseller among all animated movies.
