LOS ANGELES - "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" is the highest grossing film of the weekend, but according to studio estimates Monday, many moviegoers also chose the first weekend after Oscar nominations to catch up with some awards contenders like "The Shape of Water" which had its highest grossing frame with $5.7 million.

In first place, "The Death Cure" took in a higher than expected $23.5 million. It's the third and final installment in the "Maze Runner" series based on James Dashner's dystopian young adult novels and the weakest opening of the three (the first opened to $32.5 million and the second to $30.3 million). Part of that may be attributable to stalled momentum and a two-and-a-half-year gap between the second and third film. "The Death Cure's" release was delayed a year by 20th Century Fox after star Dylan O'Brien's on-set injury in early 2016.

It was still enough to push "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" back down to second place for the first time in three weeks. Down only 16 percent, "Jumanji" added $16.4 million, bringing its total to a robust $338.1 million.

In third place, the Christian Bale Western "Hostiles" expanded wide to 2,816 theaters in its sixth weekend and earned $10.2 million. The Hugh Jackman musical "The Greatest Showman" kept going strong in fourth with $9.5 million, down only 11 percent, and now boasting a total of $126.5 million.

Many audiences also took advantage of the added theater counts of many Oscar hopefuls following nominations Tuesday. Steven Spielberg's Pentagon Papers drama "The Post," from 20th Century Fox, placed fifth in its third weekend in wide release with $8.9 million. - AP