The war movie “Midway” snagged the first-place spot at the box office this past weekend 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 Veteran’s Day Monday.

And although $17.5 million is not a massive number on its own, it was a significant upset since 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.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday

1.”Midway,” $17.5 million ($21.6 million international).

2.”Doctor Sleep,” $14.1 million ($13 million international).

3.”Playing With Fire,” $12.8 million ($2.5 million international).

4.”Last Christmas,” $11.6 million ($3.1 million international).

5.”Terminator: Dark Fate,” $10.8 million ($29.9 million international).

6.”Joker,” $9.2 million ($20.3 million international).

7.”Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” $8 million ($19.9 million international).

8.”Harriet,” $7.2 million.

9.”Zombieland: Double Tap,” $4.3 million ($5.1 million international).

10.”The Addams Family,” $4.2 million ($13.2 million international).