Box office: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is No. 1 for fourth weekend

Disney’s Marvel Studios soared this weekend after “Guardians of the Galaxy” topped the box office for the fourth weekend, more than any other Marvel film to date.

The sci-fi film, which opened Aug. 1, met industry expectations and added about $10.2 million to its gross in the U.S. and Canada. The comic-book movie starring Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel and Zoe Saldana (with Bradley Cooper as the voice of a raccoon) has grossed $294.6 million to date. Even with its unconventional August release date, the film is the summer’s highest-grossing film and will likely become the first film this year to hit the $300-million milestone.

In international markets, the film has grossed about $291.6 million, for a total global gross of more than $586 million.

“Hitting the top of the charts again and in as many times as the film has during the run is a testament to the continued strength of the Marvel brand,” said Dave Hollis, Walt Disney Studios’ executive vice president of theatrical distribution, who also cited the support that comes from a company such as Disney and the quality of the film as reasons for the film’s strong, long run.

In the traditionally slow weekend after Labor Day, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” not surprisingly held its No. 2 spot. The Paramount Pictures film, which added $6.5 million in its fifth weekend, has grossed about $175 million in the U.S. and Canada.

The tear-jerker “If I Stay” rounded out the top three, grossing $5.8 million. Based on the 2009 bestselling book by Gayle Forman, the Warner Bros. film stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Jamie Blackley as love-struck teenagers. To date, the film has grossed $39.7 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Freestyle Releasing’s “The Identical,” the biggest newcomer to the box office this weekend, came in at No. 11 with about $1.9 million. Starring Blake Rayne, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd and Seth Green, the faith-based musical drama follows identical twin brothers (both played by Rayne) who are separated at birth during the Depression.

Other religious films -- such as “God’s Not Dead,” “Son of God” and “Noah” -- have fared better among Christian moviegoers at the box office this past year. On Sunday, “The Identical” had scored a weak 4% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

By contrast, “Boyhood,” director Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age film, which has a rare 99% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, crossed the $20-million mark at the box office.

Paramount Pictures’ “Forrest Gump” grossed about $405,000 in its limited re-release in Imax theaters.

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