Not unexpectedly, 'Finding Dory' has made not so much a splash at the weekend box office (June 17th 2016), but more a humongous tidal wave. The Disney Pixar animation has broken the record for the highest grossing animated debut in history. The 2018 release of 'Toy Story 4' has got a lot to live up to.

Finding DoryFinding Dory blows other animations out of the water

'Finding Dory' has followed the success of its predecessor by becoming the biggest opening for an animated film ever, bringing in $136.2 million domestically and beating 2007's 'Shrek the Third' (a Dreamworks feature) which had a $121.6 million debut.

Thirteen years ago, 'Finding Nemo' smashed the box office records and winded up making $867.8 million worldwide. It even went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which only sets up sequel 'Finding Dory' for good things come the 2017 award season.

More: What the critics had to say about 'Finding Dory'

The previous biggest Pixar opening was 'Toy Story 3' in 2010, but that remains more than $25 million behind when it only reached $110.3 million. However, the franchise still has a chance with 'Toy Story 4' set for release in 2018.

'Finding Dory', directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, has been much adored by critics since its premiere for the many quirky new characters and its sensitive approach to disability. Of course, nothing will ever come close to matching the boldness and originality of the first movie, but this time we centre on Dory (voiced by Ellen Degeneres) and her short-term memory loss which becomes more of a tragic hindrance to her life more than comic relief this time round as we follow her search for her parents with whom she's been estranged since she was a little fish.

'Finding Dory' also marks the second biggest opening of all time for the month of June, beaten only by 2015's 'Jurassic World'.