Disney Rebounds From 'Alice' Flop With $135 Million 'Finding Dory' Success

It was never a question of if "Finding Dory" would do well, but many were curious just how well.

Analysts had to consider a few factors. Namely, the 13 years between when the original and the sequel came out and the fact sequels are having a down year. Nobody learned that lesson more so as of late than Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) when its "Alice Through The Looking Glass" was rejected by audiences.

Still "Nemo" and "Alice" are two vastly different brands and the odds were one would have no impact on the other. Still, conservative estimates had "Dory" topping the $100 million mark even though it was assumed the film could swim higher.

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When final numbers come out on Tuesday, "Dory" will have earned over $135 million, setting the new mark for a opening weekend by a animated film. Surprisingly, the record has held since 2007 when "Shrek The Third" hit theaters.

Following a $9.2 million tally on Thursday night with early screenings and a stellar $54 million on Friday, this type of weekend was looking more and more likely. "Dory" will also see a nice international return as it earned $50 million from across 29 territories.