Melissa McCarthy takes early lead over ‘Batman v Superman’ at weekend box office

Melissa McCarthy is proving mightier than two formidable superheros as her new movie “The Boss” has taken the early lead in the weekend box office race.

In what will probably be a photo finish, the comedy is expected to edge out “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” for the No. 1 spot this weekend.

“The Boss” led the Friday box office with an estimated $8.1 million in its opening day and is on track to end the weekend with $22.5 million.

The Universal farce about an obnoxious one-percenter (McCarthy) who runs afoul the law and loses her fortune received poor reviews but looks to represent yet another box-office success for its star, whose recent hits include “Spy,” “Tammy” and “The Heat.”

“Batman v Superman” drew an estimated $6 million on Friday, bringing its domestic haul to just over $279 million in its two weeks in theaters. The DC Comics blockbuster, released by Warner Bros., is expected to bring in $21.5 million for the weekend.

Disney’s “Zootopia” added about $3.5 million to its fortunes on Friday, while the new point-of-view action caper “Hardcore Henry” came in fourth on its opening day with a little more than $1.9 million.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” placed fifth on Friday with an estimated $1.9 million.

Two faith-based movies continued to demonstrate their staying power. “Miracles from Heaven” added about $1.3 million, bringing its total to $50.3 million while “God’s Not Dead 2” added $1.2 million, bringing its total to $11 million.

In somewhat limited release, “Demolition,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, brought in approximately $360,000 in its first day, for a weak per-theater average of $422.

Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some” continued its robust performance in limited release, bringing in $143,000 on Friday for a strong per-theater average of $2,270.