Jonny Depp/photo: torontoist.com

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Johnny Depp's hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel ruled the waves at the North American box office for a second weekend, while two new comedies were in a tight race for the distant No. 2 slot.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, Walt Disney Co.'s "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Curse" earned $62.2 million during the three-day period beginning July 14. Its 10-day total stands at $258.2 million, making it the biggest movie of the year so far.

Disney officials declined to predict the film's eventual total, but observers expect a possible third weekend at No. 1 as it nears $300 million. Some targets include $340 million, the studio record set by "Finding Nemo," and $380 million, the sum earned by last year's biggest movie, "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

The Wayans brothers lowbrow comedy "Little Man" claimed second spot with about $21.7 million, just ahead of fellow rookie "You, Me and Dupree" with $21.3 million. Rankings could change when final data are released on Monday, although the estimates did not provoke any dispute between the films' respective distributors.

"Little Man" stars Marlon Wayans as a jewel thief whose face is grafted onto the two-foot body of a child actor. It was directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, and also stars Shawn Wayans. The movie, which cost about $64 million to make, exceeded the expectations of its distributor, Columbia Pictures. The Sony Corp.-owned studio had hoped for an opening in the high-teens, on par with the $19 million opening of the siblings' previous effort, "White Chicks."

"You, Me and Dupree," a $54 million film starring Owen Wilson in a familiar slacker role, this time as the houseguest from hell, turned in a "solid showing," according to Nikki Rocco, president of distribution at Universal Pictures.

Exit polling indicated women made up 58 percent of the audience, a tribute to the appeal of both Wilson and co-star Kate Hudson. Matt Dillon also stars. Universal is a unit of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal Inc.

Rounding out the top-five were Warner Bros.' "Superman Returns" with $11.6 million, and 20th Century Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada" with $10.4 million, both down two places in their third weekends. Their respective totals stand at $183.6 million and $83.6 million.

The top-10 contained one other new entrant, the limited-release sci-fi saga "A Scanner Darkly," which rose nine places to claim the final spot with $1.2 million. The Warner Independent Pictures release, featuring animated likenesses of Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey, Jr., has earned $1.8 million after two weeks. It was playing in just 216 theaters, while most of the top movies were in more than 3,000 theaters each.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Independent Pictures are units of Time Warner Inc. 20th Century Fox is a unit of News Corp.