LOS ANGELES — Despite a fresh injection of four big movies into the marketplace including a Stephen King adaptation, a World War II epic, a glossy, holiday-themed romantic comedy and a family friendly comedy, audiences largely stayed away from theaters this weekend and the North American box office is hurting.

Down nearly 27 percent from last year, the sluggish weekend allowed for a few big surprises, however. The biggest surprise was the fact that the Roland Emmerich film “Midway,” which slightly overperformed, snagged the first-place spot over Warner Bros.’ “Doctor Sleep,” a film that came in well under expectations and has left many in the business scratching their heads as to why.

Lionsgate on Sunday estimated that “Midway” earned $17.5 million from 3,242 screens. The studio acquired the film about the Battle of Midway that features a large ensemble cast including Nick Jonas and Patrick Wilson.

“Midway” cost a reported $100 million to produce and the studio is projecting that the film will have grossed $20.1 million by the end of Veterans Day Monday.

Going into the weekend experts thought the No. 1 spot would easily go to Warner Bros.’ “Doctor Sleep,” the high-profile Stephen King adaptation starring Ewan McGregor. But audiences slept on the well-reviewed sequel to King’s “The Shining” and it grossed only $14.1 million from over 3,800 locations. The film from director Mike Flanagan even utilized the classic imagery of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film version of “The Shining,” which factored heavily into the marketing.

In a more minor surprise, Paramount Pictures’ John Cena-led “Playing With Fire,” a family friendly comedy about firefighters, opened in third place with $12.8 million over Universal Pictures’ Wham!-inspired romantic comedy “Last Christmas.” Starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding, “Last Christmas” took fourth place with $11.6 million. But Universal is optimistic about its prospects, considering the thematic nature of the film and the holiday weekends to come.

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

1. “Midway,” $17.5 million

2. “Doctor Sleep,” $14.1 million

3. “Playing With Fire,” $12.8 million

4. “Last Christmas,” $11.6 million

5. “Terminator: Dark Fate,” $10.8 million

6. “Joker,” $9.2 million

7. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” $8 million

8. “Harriet,” $7.2 million

9. “Zombieland: Double Tap,” $4.3 million

10. “The Addams Family,” $4.2 million.