LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The return of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" kicked up $65 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian movie theaters over the weekend, winning a box office battle with Marvel's hit "Guardians of the Galaxy."
"Guardians," which ruled the box office universe a week ago with a record opening for August, collected $41.5 million during its second weekend, according to estimates from research firm Rentrak. New tornado-chasing thriller "Into the Storm" landed in the No. 3 slot with $18 million.
"Ninja Turtles," a reboot of a popular children's franchise that began with 1980s comic books, stars Megan Fox as a reporter who becomes a close ally of four superhero turtles who fight criminals threatening New York City.
"Guardians" features some of the lesser-known characters in the Marvel Comics universe, including a machine gun-firing raccoon and a human-like tree. Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana star as galactic warriors leading the rag-tag group.
"Into the Storm" takes place in a fictional Midwest town hit by the strongest tornadoes ever seen, including a monster mile-wide twister.
Walt Disney Co distributed "Guardians." "Ninja Turtles" was released by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies, units of Viacom Inc. Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. distributed "Into the Storm."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud; Editing by Lynne O'Donnell)