MELISSA MCCARTHY’S star power lifted “The Boss” to an estimated US$23.5 million opening weekend despite bad reviews and rough word-of-mouth for the R-rated comedy.

    If those projections hold, it will be enough to narrowly topple “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” from first place at the weekend box office. As it stands, the superhero match-up fell just short of retaining the top slot, earning US$23.4 million and bringing its total after three weeks to US$296.7 million.

    With “The Boss,” McCarthy has become one of the most reliable comic draws in the movie business. “She has a hot streak going like no other comedian, male or female, working today,” said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations.

    (SD-Agencies)