The animated film "Toy Story 3" earned $109 million in ticket sales on its opening weekend at the North American box office, according to estimates released on Sunday by distributor Walt Disney Co.

The movie made the best debut for a film produced by Disney's Pixar Animation unit. The previous mark was made by "The Incredibles" in May 2004 with $70.5 milllion.

Pixar was able to keep its record of 11 No. 1 movies. Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear the spaceman and their friends in the toy chest were first introduced in Pixar's debut release, "Toy Story", in 1995. The film began the era of computer-generated animation. In November 1999, the gang returned in a sequel that opened to $57.3 million.

Since then, ticket prices have increased. "Toy Story 3" received an extra payment from premium pricing for 3d screenings. Movie experts have predicted the film to earn more than $100 million on its opening.

Sales were generally slow this summer, with movies like "Sex and the City 2" and "Shrek Forever After" underperforming their forerunners.

Another new release at the box office is "Jonah Hex", a comic-book adaptation predicted to be the biggest flop of the year. The film, which stars Josh Brolin as a Western bounter hunter, grossed only $5.1 million on its first three days, said Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc. Experts have generously forecasted an $8-$10 million opening for the movie that reportedly cost $35 million to make.