Hollywood's box office was off to a slow start this year. Then 'Captain Marvel' came along

Austin, Texas(CNN Business) Disney's Marvel Studios' latest superhero film was unstoppable in its worldwide box office debut this weekend.

"Captain Marvel" made an estimated $455 million globally. That includes an $89 million opening in China — the world's second largest movie market.

The film, starring Brie Larson, brought in an estimated $153 million in North America. That blew past expectations: Analysts had forecast that the film would make about $130 million in North America.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Captain Marvel" is the first Marvel film to be directed by a woman and the first to feature a female superhero in the lead.

"Captain Marvel" is the 21st Marvel Studios film, going back to 2008, a year before Disney bought the franchise. They have all come in No. 1 at the North American box office on their opening weekends.

For Disney, Marvel Studios has made close to $18 billion worldwide. "Captain Marvel" is a boost for the movie industry, which has gotten off to a sluggish start this year. The 2019 North American box office was down 26% heading into Friday. Because of "Captain Marvel," this weekend's box office totals were up roughly 50% compared to the same weekend last year, according to Comscore (SCOR).

The film garnered an "A" CinemaScore from audiences and a 79% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

Nearly half, or 45%, of the "Captain Marvel" audience this weekend was female.