‘Guardians’ is highest-grossing film of 2014 in U.S.

LOS ANGELES - The “Guardians of the Galaxy” misfits reached a new box office stratosphere over the U.S. Labor Day weekend, soaring past fellow Marvel hero “Captain America” to become the highest-grossing domestic movie of 2014.

“Guardians” rang up $16.3 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales from Friday through Sunday, topping weekend charts for the third time since its Aug. 1 debut, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak. Total domestic sales climbed to $274.6 million, surpassing the $259.8 million earned by April release, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

For the weekend, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” took the No. 2 slot, collecting $11.8 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters through Sunday.

Drama “If I Stay,” based on a young adult novel about a girl who has an out of body experience after a catastrophic car accident, claimed third place with $9.3 million.

Low-budget horror flick “As Above, So Below” debuted in fourth place, pulling in an estimated $8.3 million. The movie follows a team of explorers who venture through the catacombs beneath Paris. Legendary Pictures produced the film for $5 million.

New release “The November Man” finished sixth with $7.7 million, behind R-rated comedy “Let’s Be Cops” with a $8.2 million take. “November Man” stars former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan as an ex-CIA operative recruited for a mission that pits him against a former pupil.

“November Man” was distributed by privately held Relativity Media. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom, released “Transformers” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” “If I Stay” was released by Warner Bros.

Reuters