Finding Dory: Finding Nemo sequel makes highest-grossing animated debut of all time

It's blown previous record-breaker Shrek the Third out of the water

Since its release in 2003, Pixar film Finding Nemo became the highest-grossing U-certificate film of all time, a feat since beaten by the studio's very own Toy Story 3.

It's no surprise then that Nemo's long-awaited sequel Finding Dory has smashed a box office record after just one weekend of its US release.

Such is the film's profit, in fact, it's had the highest-grossing debut in the history of animation taking a haul of $132.6 million, reports Deadline.

This also makes the animated sequel the second-biggest June opening of all time following last year's Jurassic World.

It would be easy to assume the record had been held by a previous Pixar release, but no, it's Shrek the Third that's been pushed into second with $121.6 million. Despicable Me spin-off Minions is now in third place with $115.7 million followed by the aforementioned Toy Story 3 ($110.3 million).

Finding Dory's record-breaking success places it as the year's second-biggest opening behind Captain America: Civil War which pulled in a staggering $179 million - the fifth highest of all time. The news is surely a reprieve for studio bigwigs following the news that the US box office had recently suffered a major slump.

Director Andrew Stanton returns for the exceptionally well-received sequel which places Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful fish Dory front and centre of the story. The film is expected to achieve similar success when it's released in the UK on 29 July.