'Cars 3' speeds to No. 1 at the box office, knocks 'Wonder Woman' to second

"Wonder Woman" fell to second place in its third weekend in theaters, but it still is doing the heavy lifting for the otherwise lackluster summer box office.

While many worn-out franchises and franchise hopefuls continue to struggle to find a significant North American audience, smaller films such as the Tupac biopic "All Eyez on Me" and the shark thriller "47 Meters Down" broke through the clutter and make a splash this weekend.

As expected, the third installment in Disney and Pixar's $1 billion "Cars" franchise easily took the top spot, but its estimated $53.5 million in earnings told a more complicated tale.

"Cars 3" had the worst opening in the series' history, and it was one of the lowest debuts for the Pixar brand. It also was a disappointment compared with the top films over this weekend in 2015 and 2016, noted comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

The G-rated "Cars 3" got an "A" CinemaScore and generally positive reviews, but it will have to contend with "Despicable Me 3," which opens in two weeks.

"Wonder Woman" was knocked down to second place with $40.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $274.6 million, while holdover "The Mummy" slid to fourth place in weekend two with $13.9 million.

Amid the doldrums, lower-profile films made a mark. The long-coming Tupac biopic "All Eyez on Me" earned $27.1 million to take third on the charts.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore.

1. "Cars 3," $53.5 million.

2. "Wonder Woman," $40.8 million.

3. "All Eyez on Me," $27.1 million.

4. "The Mummy," $13.9 million.

5. "47 Meters Down," $11.5 million.

6. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," $8.5 million.

7. "Rough Night," $8.1 million.

8. "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," $7.4 million.

9. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $5 million.

10. "It Comes At Night," $2.6 million.