WASHINGTON (AFP) - It might have scored top of the North American box office, but Justice League didn't have the super opening weekend predicted, falling short of expectations with takings of US$96 million (S$130.3 million), according to industry estimates released Sunday.

With an all-star cast including Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, Justice League - based on the DC Comics superheroes team - sees a mash-up of classic characters fend off the threat of supervillain Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).

The big-budget Warner Bros. production - which fared better internationally, taking US$185 million - was forecast to earn US$110 million in North American cinemas, according to Variety.

Writing on Twitter, industry analyst Exhibitor Relations - which released the estimates - said Justice League "may be the first film to debut w/ US$96M that feels like a major disappointment." In at second - earning US$27.1 million - was Lionsgate's newly-released Wonder, according to the box office tracker.

Starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay, Wonder follows the journey of August Pullman, a young boy with facial deformities, as he enters the fifth grade at a mainstream school for the first time.

After thundering to the top spot last week, Thor: Ragnarok slipped into third place in its third weekend in cinemas, taking US$21.8 million.

Featuring the self-mocking humour of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god alongside Cate Blanchett as Hela, goddess of death, Thor has raked in an impressive US$247.4 million since its release in North American cinemas.

Paramount's Daddy's Home 2 halved its earnings from last weekend, dropping to fourth place with US$14.8 million.

The festive comedy stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as Brad and Dusty, who join forces to give their kids the perfect holiday - an effort challenged when their own fathers show up.

In at fifth was Fox's Murder on the Orient Express, earning US$13.8 million.

The fourth television or cinema adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic detective novel, the murder mystery was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as part of an A-list cast including Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

The Star (US$10 million)

A Bad Moms Christmas (US$6.9 million)

Lady Bird (US$2.5 million)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (US$1.1 million)

Jigsaw (US$1.1 million)