NEW YORK — On a quiet weekend in movie theaters before the upcoming release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Warner Bros.’ “Black Adam” topped the box office for the third straight weekend with $18.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“Black Adam,” Dwayne Johnson’s bid to launch a new DC Films superpower, has surpassed $300 million globally in three weeks of release, including a domestic tally of $137.4 million. That puts the $195 million-budgeted film — the third film this year to lead the box office three consecutive weeks — on a trajectory to likely surpass the $366 million that “Shazam!” grossed in 2019, but less certain to notch a profit in its theatrical run.

When Walt Disney Co.’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” lands in theaters Thursday, it’s expected to score one of the biggest opening weekends of the year. Ryan Coogler’s original debuted with more than $200 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters in 2018, and forecasts suggest it could open with around $175 million.

With “Wakanda Forever” looming, only one new film opened in wide release: “One Piece Film: Red,” distributed by Sony Picture’s anime division, Crunchyroll. The Japanese anime sequel, part of the “One Piece” franchise, debuted in second place with $9.5 million.