NEW YORK (AP):

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 rocketed to an estimated US$145 million debut in North America, kicking off Hollywood's summer movie season with something the movie business has been craving: a sequel more successful than the original.

Director James Gunn's second Guardians film opened 54 per cent higher than the 2014 runaway hit, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

That release, which introduced the intergalactic band of misfits played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper, debuted with US$94 million in its first weekend.

The opening for Guardians Vol 2, made for about US$200 million, is the second largest of the year, following Disney's Beauty and the Beast (US$174.8 million).

On the horizon are big-budget sequels like Alien: Covenant, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Cars 3, Transformers: The Last Knight, Despicable Me 3, and War for the Planet of the Apes.

Fearing the might of Guardians, no other major studio releases debuted over the weekend.

Following are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, US$145m (US$124m international)

2. The Fate of the Furious, US$8.5m (US$30.1m international)

3. The Boss Baby, US$6.2m (US$11.9m international)

4. How to Be a Latin Lover, US$5.3m (US$5.6m international)

5. Beauty and the Beast, US$4.9m (US$11.9m international)

6. The Circle, US$4m

7. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, US$3.2m (US$43.9m international)

8. Gifted, US$2.1m

9. Going in Style, US$1.9m (US$3.1m international).

10. Smurfs: The Lost Village, US$1.8m (US$5.6m international).