The latest iteration of the Godzilla franchise took over the top spot from "Aladdin" and roared louder than Elton John at the weekend box office, but it still left a notably smaller footprint on North American theaters than its city-wrecking predecessors.

"Godzilla: King of the Monsters," Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's sequel to 2014's "Godzilla," was brought down to size by poor reviews and middling interest from moviegoers, selling $49 million in tickets, according to studio estimates Sunday.

While still good enough for No. 1, that total was $10 million to $15 million off industry expectations and close to half of the $93 million debut of the previous Godzilla movie.

Last week's top film, Disney's live-action, Will Smith "Aladdin" remake, slid to second with $42 million in its second weekend. And a rush of newcomers, including the Elton John biopic "Rocketman" and the Octavia Spencer-led horror film "Ma," swelled theaters with a variety of options.

Dexter Fletcher's fantastical Elton John biopic "Rocketman," starring Taron Egerton, didn't launch with the same bravado as last year's Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody." But it opened solidly in third with $25 million. The weekend's most profitable release, by percentage, was likely the Blumhouse Production thriller "Ma," which made $18.2 million against a $5 million budget.

The weekend was up 62% from the same weekend last year, according to Comscore.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday:

1. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," $49 million.

2. "Aladdin," $42.3 million.

3. "Rocketman," $25 million.

4. "Ma," $18.3 million.

5. "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum," $11.1 million.

6. "Avengers: Endgame," $7.8 million.

7. "Pokemon Detective Pikachu," $6.7 million.

8. "Booksmart," $3.3 million.

9. "Brightburn," $2.3 million.

10. "The Hustle," $1.3 million.

ASSOCIATED PRESS