Star Wars film breaks opening night box office record

Image source, Disney/Lucasfilm

Image caption, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The new Star Wars film has set a new opening night box office record in America and Canada.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens made 拢38m on Thursday night.

It beats the previous record held by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011.

Experts say the space story could become the biggest selling movie of all time.

The film also set a new opening day box office record in the UK and Ireland as well.

The 拢9.64m made, beat the previous best of 拢9.48m set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Image source, Getty Images/AFP

Image caption, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint at the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" in London 2011.

Midnight screenings on Thursday made 拢2.4m in ticket sales.

In the UK, some chains have increased their prices for the film.

For example Odeon, has put up tickets by 拢2.

Two million tickets were booked in advance for The Force Awakens setting a new record for advanced ticket bookings in the UK and Ireland.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens returns to "a galaxy far, far away" 30 years after the action in the Return of the Jedi from 1983.