LOS ANGELES — “Guardians of the Galaxy” blasted past expectations at the weekend box office.

Marvel Studios’ cosmic romp starring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana as members of an intergalactic band of rebels earned $94 million in its debut weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Box office analysts initially projected that the comic book adaptation would earn between $60 million and $75 million in North America.

The launch gives “Guardians” the biggest opening for an August film, a record previously held by the $69.2 million debut of 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum.” It also makes “Guardians” the third largest opening of 2014, coming behind the $95 million inauguration of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and the $100 million launch of “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”

“Guardians” also features Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel voicing the computer-generated characters Rocket Raccoon and Groot.

In a distant second place, “Lucy,” starring Scarlett Johansson as a woman with mind-bending powers, nabbed $18.3 million in its second weekend.

Meanwhile, Universal’s James Brown biopic “Get on Up” featuring Chadwick Boseman as the soulful singer opened in third place with $14 million.

Here are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters.

1. “Guardians of the Galaxy,” $94 million

2. “Lucy,” $18.3 million

3. “Get on Up,” $14 million

4. “Hercules,” $10.7 million

5. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” $8.7 million

6. “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” $6.4 million

7. “The Purge: Anarchy,” $5.5 million

8. “Sex Tape,” $3.5 million

9. “And So It Goes,” $3.3 million

10. “A Most Wanted Man,” $3.3 million.