Star Wars: The Force Awakens has smashed the record for the biggest box office debut weekend in North America with ticket sales of $238m (£159.7m).

The previous record, $208.8m (£140m), was set by Jurassic World in June.

The new Star Wars film has taken an estimated $517m (£347m) globally in three days - putting it just behind Jurassic World's $525m (£352m) tally.

Star Wars has also had the biggest opening day and Saturday receipts in UK and Ireland box office history.

With its Sunday takings projected to be £7.5m, it is expected to achieve the largest four-day weekend total in British and Irish cinemas.

JJ Abrams' film grossed £9.6m on Thursday, including £2.4m from midnight screenings.

That exceeded the previous best of £9.48m set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens went on to make £8.6m on Saturday in the UK and Ireland.

These figures meant it had already overtaken the lifetime totals of several big films, including the first Hunger Games release and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Jurassic World currently holds the record for the largest four-day weekend in the UK and Ireland.

The new Star Wars film also set a new opening night record in the US and Canada.

The Force Awakens made $57m (£38m) on Thursday night, beating the previous record of $43.5m held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Analysts say the space saga could become the biggest-selling movie of all time, even if it does fail to top Jurassic World's global opening figures.

The Star Wars European premiere took place in London last week. Photo: Reuters

That film had the advantage of opening in China on the same weekend it opened everywhere else.

The Force Awakens, in contrast, will not debut in the world's second biggest cinema-going territory until 9 January.

The latest film returns to "a galaxy far, far away" some 30 years on from the action of 1983's Return of the Jedi.

It sees original trilogy stars Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprise their Han Solo and Princess Leia roles alongside younger franchise newcomers.

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