LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The misfit "Guardians of the Galaxy" super heroes are headed to television in a new animated series, Walt Disney Co's children's TV network said on Friday, after they saved the universe from destruction in the summer's biggest movie.
Marvel's "Guardians," a rogue band of aliens led by thief and explorer "Starlord" Peter Quill, will premiere next year on Disney XD, and follow the intergalactic heroes as they battle evil forces to keep the universe safe.
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie opened in August to rave reviews and $94 million at the U.S. box office, the largest August movie opening in film history and the biggest movie release of 2014.
It has so far grossed $655 million at the global box office, according to Boxoffice.com.
Unlike Disney's recent spate of Marvel superhero films including the "Iron Man," "Captain America" and "Avengers" franchises, the "Guardians" was a lesser-known comic book property and a risky choice for a stand-alone movie.
The success of the film has already led the studio to greenlight the sequel, due in 2017. Chris Pratt will reprise the role of Peter Quill, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Vin Diesel as Groot and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Richard Chang)