Guardians of the Galaxy’ rockets to top of box office

This undated image released by Disney – Marvel shows, from left, Zoe Saldana, the character Rocket Racoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, the character Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista in a scene from “Guardians Of The Galaxy”. AP

LOS ANGELES – Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the critically acclaimed science-fiction superhero romp, skyrocketed to the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend, estimates showed Sunday.

The movie added another $17.6 million to its four-week haul which now totals $251.9 million, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations reported.

The famous, pizza-munching “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” meanwhile were edged out of their top spot, taking home $16.8 million and slipping to second in their third weekend in theaters.

Teen melodrama “If I Stay,” based on a young adult novel about a girl who surveys her life from an out-of-body experience after a car accident, debuted in third place with $16.4 million.

Fourth spot was taken by raunchy adult comedy “Let’s Be Cops,” starring Damon Wayans Jr, about two friends who become entangled in criminal intrigue when they dress up as police officers for a costume party.

It took in $11 million in its second weekend, despite being savaged by overwhelmingly negative reviews.

“When the Game Stands Tall,” based on the true story of a US high school coach who leads his team on a 151-game winning streak, debuted in fifth place with $9 million.

In sixth place was dystopian drama “The Giver” based on Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel of the same name. The film, starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and Brenton Thwaites, earned $6.7 million.

The veteran action heroes of Sylvester Stallone’s geriatric “The Expendables 3” took in $6.6 million in their second week in theaters, landing in seventh.

Crime-thriller sequel “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” featuring Mickey Rourke, Eva Green, Jessica Alba, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, debuted in eighth place with $6.5 million.

And “The Hundred Foot Journey,” a romantic comedy with Helen Mirren and Om Puri as culture-clashing restaurateurs raked in $5.6 million, landing in ninth.

Rounding out the top ten with $3.8 million was weather disaster movie “Into The Storm.”