‘The Boss’ will battle ‘Batman v Superman’ for top spot at the box office this weekend

Melissa McCarthy has a chance to bump off Batman and Superman at the box office, again proving the comedic actor’s ability to draw big crowds at the multiplex.

McCarthy’s new Universal Pictures comedy, “The Boss,” about a tarnished business mogul trying to redeem herself after getting busted for insider trading, is on track to gross $25 million to $30 million in its opening weekend from the U.S. and Canada, according to people who have seen pre-release audience surveys.

That would be a strong start for the raunchy $29-million production and could be enough to unseat “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which will be entering its third week in theaters. The studio says it would be pleased with an initial gross of $20 million or more for “The Boss.”

McCarthy, whose previous hits include “The Heat” and “Identity Thief,” has been one of the most reliably bankable performers in Hollywood during the last few years. Her most recent outing, the action comedy “Spy” from 20th Century Fox, opened to $29 million last year on its way to a domestic total of $111 million. Before that, Warner Bros.’ “Tammy” debuted with a solid $21.6 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2014 and ended up with $84.5 million, despite lackluster reviews from critics.

As with “Tammy,” McCarthy teamed with her husband Ben Falcone to make “The Boss.” Falcone directed the movie and co-wrote it with McCarthy and their collaborator Steve Mallory.

Meanwhile, “Batman v Superman” will attempt to continue its reign at the box office after two straight weekends at No. 1.

In the U.S. and Canada alone, it has taken in $261 million so far, though it suffered a substantial drop in ticket sales during its second weekend. Last weekend’s domestic receipts totaled $51.3 million, down 69% from its $166-million debut, an unusually large decline.

The movie is projected to generate $20 million in ticket sales Friday through Sunday, down about 60% from the previous week.

Worldwide, the Warner Bros.-DC Entertainment epic, which cost $250 million to make, has brought in more than $700 million.

As McCarthy and the superheroes battle for the top spot, new studio STX Entertainment will make a play for cinephiles, action film fans and video game players. Its latest release, “Hardcore Henry,” is expected to gross $7 million to $9 million, though experimental films are notoriously difficult to predict at the box office.

The Burbank entertainment company, founded in 2014, acquired the rights to the picture at the Toronto International Film Festival for $10 million in 2015, a hefty sum for a festival movie. It’s the first feature film from Russian writer-director Ilya Naishuller.

Filmed like a first-person shooter video game by using GoPro cameras, the movie takes place from the perspective of the title character, who comes back from the dead with no recollection of what has happened to him.

In limited release, Universal’s Focus unit will release the Sam Rockwell-Anna Kendrick comedy “Mr. Right” in theaters and home video, while Fox Searchlight will distribute the Jake Gyllenhaal drama “Demolition.” Both “Mr. Right” and “Demolition” played at the Toronto festival.

ryan.faughnder@latimes.com