'Cars 3' speeds to No. 1, right past 'Wonder Woman'

LOS ANGELES – "Wonder Woman" fell to second place in its third weekend in theaters, but it's still 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" were able to break 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 with estimated earnings of $53.5 million. 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" starring Tom Cruise slid to fourth place in weekend two with $13.9 million.

Amid the doldrums, lower-profile films made a mark. The Tupac biopic earned $27.1 million to take third place on the charts. It opened on what would have been the late rapper's 46th birthday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday:

1. "Cars 3," $53.5 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.

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

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