ENTERTAINMENT

'Star Wars' smashes box-office records in Canada

The Canadian Press Published Monday, December 21, 2015 2:18PM EST Last Updated Monday, December 21, 2015 2:19PM EST

This photo provided by Disney shows Daisey Ridley as Rey, left, and John Boyega as Finn, in a scene from the new film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," directed by J.J. Abrams. (Film Frame/Disney/Copyright Lucasfilm 2015 via AP)

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TORONTO -- "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has smashed box-office records in Canada.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada says the latest instalment in the epic space drama surpassed projections and reached $18.6 million in ticket sales this past weekend.

According to Disney, that's the biggest opening weekend of all time in this country, ahead of Marvel's "The Avengers" at $15.6 million and Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" at $13.8 million.

Disney says the film also had the biggest Friday and biggest single-day box office gross ever in Canada at about $8 million.

And the movie had the biggest opening weekend of all time in Quebec, with $3.27 million in ticket sales.

U.S. studio estimates from Sunday said the J. J. Abrams-directed title brought in US$238 million over the weekend, making it the biggest North American debut of all time.