The Disney hit stomped the previous record holder for an animated opener by nearly $6m - that's the size of a pretty decent opener in the UK. Mouse's Toy Story 2 took $57.4m two years back and broke the roaring $40.9m chunk that The Lion King bit off.

This makes Monsters the sixth highest opener in cinema history but it comes in the highest ever for an original film. Many pundits saw the latest Disney/Pixar offering, after four enormous collaborations in the past, a guaranteed hit throughout its conception but after the 11/9 tragedy US audiences' palate for feel good has been firmly expressed.

Monsters, Incorporated is the largest scare factory in the monster world and James P. Sullivan (played by John Goodman) is one of its top scarers. Sullivan is a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots and horns. His Scare Assistant, best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski (Billy Chrystal) a green, opinionated, feisty little one-eyed monster. The cast of characters also includes James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly and Steve Buscemi.

The film opened on the slightly obscene figure of 3200 screens Stateside, but then it was worth it and then some. Monsters opens in cinemas across the UK on February 8 and is expected to perform just as well.