'Batman v. Superman' tries to capture the top spot in its third weekend, as the Universal comedy and STX's first-person shooter 'Hardcore Henry' make their debut.
Melissa McCarthy's latest comedy The Bossis heading towards $8 million for Friday on its way to $21 million to $23 million for the weekend, which means it would be on par with her 2014 comedy Tammy (which earned $21.6 million in its debut and went on to take in $100.5 million worldwide).
The Boss will likely place No. 2 for the weekend, but there is a possibility it could challenge Warner Bros.' BvS, now in its third weekend, for the top spot. The superhero pic is heading towards a 50 percent to 55 percent drop for a domestic tally of $23 million to $25 million. However, some rival studios think BvS could possibly drop 60 percent or more, which pits The Boss in an even closer race with BvS.
Universal's The Boss, written by McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone with theirGroundlings collaborator Steve Mallory, has received tepid reviews, but, with a budget of $29 million, is heading towards a solid debut, and will likely be considered another win for McCarthy, whose had a string of box office successes regardless of how the films have been received by critics.
Its story centers on a titan of industry (McCarthy) who, after a stint in prison, had to rebuild her life and her empire. Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates also star.
The comedy, which earned a solid $985,000 in Thursday night previews, is directed by Falcone, and is opening in more than 3,400 theaters, and was produced by McCarthy and Falcone's On the Day production company along with Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy's Gary Sanchez Productions.
This weekend's other wide release, Hardcore Henry, is heading towards $2.1 million to $2.4 million for Friday for a domestic debut of $6 million to $7 million. It earned $380,000 in previews Thursday.
The film first played at September's Toronto International Film Festival, where STX Entertainment acquired it. The film, which also screeend at South by Southwest, is shot in a way that makes the audience feel like it's the main character in the story, similar to a POV video game. It centers on Henry, a man who is resurrected from death with no memory and who must save his wife from a druglord.
The R-rated genre title, a U.S.-Russia co-production, is directed by Ilya Naishuller and stars Sharlto Copley and Haley Bennett. It's opening in roughly 3,000 theaters.