FINDING DORY: Makes Record Splash at Opening Weekend Domestic Box Office with $136M

As our friends at Screen Junkies humorously put it, Finding Dory might as well be called Finding Money! The whale-sized box office results from Finding Dory's domestic opening weekend haul break the all-time record for animated film opening weekend box office gross. As The Hollywood Reporter published this morning, the $136M splash puts Finding Dory at the top of the record for highest grossing animated film opening weekend, $15M ahead of Dreamwork's longtime record-holder Shrek The Third with $121M. Find out what Finding Dory's record-breaking box office splash means going forward-- as well as a look at the fantastic reviews for the 13 year-coming sequel-- all after the break!

FINDING DORY Swims to Box Office Gold with Record-Breaking $136M Box Office Opening Weekend:

Good things come to those that wait — at least in the case of a forgetful blue fish named Dory.

Some 13 years after Finding Nemo first hit theaters, Pixar and Disney's sequel Finding Dory made a huge splash at the box office, landing the biggest domestic opening of all time for an animated title with $136.2 million from 4,305 theaters. And it's the only animated movie to crack the overall list of top 20 openings, ranking No. 18.

Overseas, Finding Dory grossed $50 million as it rolled out in 32 percent of the marketplace for a global bow of $186.2 million, including a Pixar-best of $17.5 million in China and $7.6 million in Australia.

The previous crown holder for top animated domestic launch was DreamWorks Animation's Shrek the Third, which debuted to $121.6 million in 2007. Until now, Pixar's best was Toy Story 3(2010) with $110.3 million.

Finding Dory — grabbing an A CinemaScore — is a needed boost for the summer box office, which has seen a number of sequels underperform. It also reminds of the power of families in driving mega openings, as well as underscoring the nostalgia for Nemo. While families made up the largest chunk of the audience (65 percent), adults turned out in force (26 percent), followed by teens (9 percent).

Finding Dory's Friday haul of $55.2 million marked the largest single day in history for an animated film, eclipsing the record $47 million earned by Shrek the Third on its first Saturday. Dory kicked things off by earning $9.2 million in Thursday-night previews, likewise a record for an animated film, besting last year's Minions ($6.2 million).

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, the sequel sees Finding Nemo voice stars Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks returning to voice the roles of Dory and Marlin, respectively. Newcomer Hayden Rolence voices the character Nemo.
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The tale centers on Dory's attempts to reunite with her parents, whom she lost years ago. Accompanied by Nemo and Marlin, Dory arrives at a marine institute, where she engages with new friends, including a white beluga whale named Destiny (Ty Burrell), a white shark (Kaitlin Olson) and a cranky octopus (Ed O'Neill).

​-The Hollywood Reporter

FINDING DORY holds 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

"A sequel that betters the boffo 2003 animated feature Finding Nemo and provides more evidence, after last year's highly original Inside Out, that Pixar has finally emerged from the uninspiring years of the Cars franchise." - Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail

"There's a big undersea world out there in Finding Dory, one that's endlessly diverse and consistently beautiful. Not only in its dazzling photorealist images, but in the story's creative depth." - Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"It's a solid, entertaining, well-paced sequel featuring terrific voice work, a clever script and some ingenious action sequences." - Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

"It is nice, especially at this precise moment, to believe that evil and cruelty don't necessarily have to exist in the world: that even in the great big ocean, a couple of small fish looking for help can always depend on the kindness of strangers." - Andrew Lapin, NPR

"Audiences should find "Dory" one of Pixar's most charming achievements." - Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"For all the witty voices and great escapes (maybe one too many of the latter), "Finding Dory" is ultimately a character story, and DeGeneres' lovable, brave Dory swims right into our hearts." - Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Finding Dory's outstanding reviews and record-breaking box office results should catapult the sequel to the top of Pixar's and all-time animated film box office charts as more and more movie-goers swim to the theaters in the next several weeks. I myself have seen the film and found it both hilarious in it's inventive and exciting new cast of aquatic creatures and heartwarmingly reminiscent of it's predecessor in terms of world building, character reunions, and clever storytelling. Expect a full review of Finding Dory by the end of the weekend as I collect my thoughts on the incredibly successful sequel! 

Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory welcomes back to the big screen everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang Dory (voice of Ellen DeGeneres), who’s living happily in the reef with Nemo (voice of Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks). When Dory suddenly remembers that she has a family out there who may be looking for her, the trio takes off on a life-changing adventure across the ocean to California’s prestigious Marine Life Institute, a rehabilitation center and aquarium. In an effort to find her mom (voice of Diane Keaton) and dad (voice of Eugene Levy), Dory enlists the help of three of the MLI’s most intriguing residents: Hank (voice of Ed O’Neill), a cantankerous octopus who frequently gives employees the slip; Bailey (voice of Ty Burrell), a beluga whale who is convinced his echolocation skills are on the fritz; and Destiny (voice of Kaitlin Olson), a nearsighted whale shark. Deftly navigating the complex innerworkings of the MLI, Dory and her friends discover the magic within their flaws, friendships and family.
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Directed by Andrew Stanton and produced by Lindsey Collins, the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton. Finding Dory swims into theaters June 17, 2016.