Star Wars: The Force Awakens has record-breaking opening weekend

There's been an awakening, indeed. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been shattering box-offic records since it first hit theaters this week, and now we've learned the J.J. Abrams-direct film grossed $238 million in North America — the biggest opening of all time, not accounting for inflation.

Disney has confirmed that The Force Awakens made $279 million during its five-day international debut, bringing its global earnings to $517 million.

The previous domestic opening record-holder was Jurassic World which opened this summer to $208.8 million. Worldwide, The Force Awakens is still second to Jurassic World's $524.9 million, but the dinosaur action flick had the advantage of opening day-and-date in China. The Force Awakens doesn't debut in China, the second-largest moviegoing market, until January 9th.

“Our sole focus has been creating a film that delivers that one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience, and director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm team have outdone themselves,” Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.

"To all of the fans around the world who not only came out in Force to make this such an exciting and astronomical debut but who treated this film as their own and helped preserve the experience for their fellow fans by not spoiling it – thank you, we do."