Melissa McCarthy's 'The Boss': 5 Lessons From Her Latest Box Office TriumphTheWrap

Impressed by how Melissa McCarthy‘s comedy grossed $23.5 million and gave “Batman v Superman” a run for its money at the weekend box office, where “The Boss” might have eked out a photo-finish win?

Us, too.

And here are a few things that we learned when we looked into how it happened.

Also Read: 'The Boss' Earns $23.5 Million to Barely Edge 'Batman v Superman' at the Box Office

1. She Can Open Movies

Ever since she broke out with her Oscar-nominated performance in “Bridesmaids,” McCarthy hasn’t merely enjoyed a string of hit films. She has a built a consistent, five-year track record of bankability. Each successive wide-release starring vehicle for the actress has debuted over $20 million — sometimes well over (see chart).

That’s an Adam Sandler-esque run that shows no signs of letting up — especially when even very poorly reviewed movies like “The Boss” and “Tammy” (both of which were directed by McCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone) have made the money grade.

“Her fans are like — and I’m not going to name any particular political candidate — but it’s the type of passion for her that some have for some of the current candidates running for president,” comScore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian told TheWrap.

That’s particularly true when McCarthy is in her raunchy, R-rated wheelhouse. “No matter what she does, the audience — her audience, her core constituency — loves her, and she can almost do no wrong,” he added. Which brings us to…

Also Read: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone Reteam on New Line Comedy 'Life of the Party'

2. She’s Impervious to Reviews

A McCarthy movie hits the multiplex with a bawdy, bruising, R-rated bang. It’s a sound that seems to drive critics crazy — “The Boss” stands at just 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — but the star has a built-in fan base that is as broad as it is devoted. The statistics bear this out: “The Boss” drew an almost even number of old and young viewers, while it appealed to a first-weekend crowd that was 67 percent female.

“The No. 1 reason that people went [to ‘The Boss’] was Melissa McCarthy at 79 percent,” Nicholas Carpou, Universal’s President of Domestic Distribution, told TheWrap, “followed by the humor at 66 percent. Which, I think, speaks volumes to how these characters that she creates and that she plays, how much they absolutely resonate with comedies. She is like the personification.”

Also Read: Melissa McCarthy's 'The Boss' Gets Fired by Critics: 'It Is the Worst Kind of Bad Movie'

3. “Batman v Superman” Faded Faster Than Expected

There may have been a time when Universal planted “The Boss” on this weekend as a sort of counterprogramming move against Warner Bros.’ superhero blockbuster — but with no real hopes of a win.

Well, think again. With its steady, and steep, declines since its huge opening (also to withering reviews that might have hurt after a huge $166 million first weekend), Warner Bros.’ “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” has left the door open for McCarthy to sneak in and eke out a victory when final numbers are released on Monday.

4. It Pays to Counterprogram With Comedy

If you thought “Batman v. Superman” was dark, just look at the movies in the rest of the box office rankings — tons of the kind of horror, thriller, action and genre fare that tend to dominate during the times of year before the big movie seasons start. Currently, the only other comedies in the Top 10 are pretty … vanilla: the kid-skewing “Zootopia” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” both of which are losing steam after several weeks.

Also Read: 'The Boss,' 'Batman v Superman' Are Neck and Neck in Fandango Advance Ticket Sales

Adults want to laugh, and this weekend, there was really only one big R-rated choice for them. As Dergarabedian said of McCarthy’s rabid fans, “They just love her brash, vulgar, throw-vanity-to-the-wind attitude.” No other film was going to give them that.

5. “Ghostbusters” Should Be YUGE

Let’s put this simply: McCarthy is on a roll. While her CBS sitcom, “Mike & Molly,” ends its six-season run on May 16, that finale comes at an opportune time, when her big-screen star is still rising. Indeed, she has accomplished what few actors — men or women, comedic or serious — have been able to do, in moving from character roles and a TV show to consistent theatrical box office success.

“It used to be if you were a TV star, you didn’t really have a chance on the big screen,” Dergarabedian said. “Now, seeing stars going back and forth between both platforms effortlessly, there’s no stigma anymore.”

Also Read: 'Ghostbusters' First Trailer Proves Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts (Video)

Seconded Universal’s Carpou, “She’s a genuine movie star, and a genuine comedic movie star, too.” He added, “And as a fan, I want her to do more.”

While this bodes well for McCarthy’s own long-term plans, it must put a smile on the faces of the folks at Sony, which is releasing the McCarthy-fronted ensemble comedy remake “Ghostbusters” on July 15.

Yep, today, they have good reason to say: “I ain’t afraid of no box office.”

51 Summer Movies on Our Radar: From 'Captain America: Civil War' to 'Sausage Party' (Photos)

"Captain America: Civil War" (May 6)

The Avengers are back in the third standalone film for "Captain America," in which political pressure to register superheroes with the government divides the team.
Marvel
"Pele: Birth of a Legend" (May 6)

Starring Kevin de Paula, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro and Diego Boneta, "Pele" tells the story of Brazil's most celebrated soccer player.
Getty Images
"Elstree 1976" (May 6)

The documentary features actors and extras from the "Star Wars" franchise as they remember their times on set and talk about how the making of the films affected their lives. Derek Lyons, Anthony Forrest and Laurie Goode all make appearances.
"A Bigger Splash" (May 13)

In this film starring Dakota Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts, a famous rock star and filmmaker go on vacation only to have it disrupted by an old friend and his daughter.
StudioCanal
"Money Monster" (May 13)

Julia Roberts and George Clooney reunite once again in this story about a business network TV host and his producer who face a tough situation when an armed investor seizes their studio.
Tristar
"The Lobster" (May 13)

Single denizens of The City in this film's dystopian future must find a romantic partner within 45 days, or they're transformed into beasts and sent into the Woods. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz star.
A24
"Dheepan" (May 13)

After winning the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, the drama will be released in the U.S. by IFC/Sundance Selects. It deals with a former soldier, a young woman and a child who pose as a family to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka.
IFC Films
"Search Party" (May 13)

"Silicon Valley" stars T.J. Miller and Thomas Middleditch reteam alongside Adam Pally in this comedy about two friends who go on a mission to reunite their friend with the woman he was supposed to marry.
Focus World
"Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" (May 20)

Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne are back -- but this time around, the former enemies team up against a sorority that's wreaking even more havoc than Efron's frat from the original film. Chloe Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez join the cast.
Universal
"The Angry Birds Movie" (May 20)

After the huge success of the mobile game, the angry birds are coming to the big screen with voiceovers by Peter Dinklage, Kate McKinnon, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Keegan-Michael Key, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph and more.
Sony/Columbia
"The Nice Guys" (May 20)

Directed by Shane Black, this period detective film starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling will hit theaters in May. In the movie, the two must work together to find a missing girl and solve the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.
Warner Bros.
"Weiner" (May 20)

The documentary that disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner now regrets granting access, follows his 2013 mayoral bid which ended in a now infamous sexting scandal.
IFC Films/Sundance Selects
"Holy Hell" (May 20)

Twenty years in the making, this documentary goes inside The Buddha Field, a cult formed in the 1980s in West Hollywood, California. Filmmaker Will Allen is a former member of the sect who uses archival footage to tell the story of its charismatic leader, who forced members to perform sex acts, get abortions and undergo plastic surgery, often using hypnotherapy.
FilmRise
"Alice Through the Looking Glass" (May 27)

Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Rhys Ifans, the "Alice in Wonderland" sequel is tracking for a $74 million opening weekend when it debuts against "X-Men: Apocalypse."
Disney
"The Do-Over" (May 27)

Adam Sandler signed a four-picture production with Netflix, and "The Do-Over," costarring David Spade, is his second entry, following last year's "Ridiculous Six." In the film, the two decide to fake their own deaths in order to start over with new identities.
Netflix
"X-Men: Apocalypse" (May 27)

The eighth movie in the "X-Men" franchise adds newcomers Sophie Turner, Oscar Isaac, Olivia Munn, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tye Sheridan to the regular cast. In "Apocalypse," the X-Men must fight the world's first mutant.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Me Before You" (June 3)

Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin star in the on-screen adaptation of Jojo Moyes' bestselling novel, in which a small town girl becomes the caretaker of a disabled man. Improbably, they fall in love.
Warner Bros.
"The Bye Bye Man" (June 3)

The horror film was most recently moved from October, and follows three college students who move into a house off campus to discover a supernatural entity called the Bye Bye Man. They must save each other while keeping the entity’s existence a secret from others. It cleared the date for Ben Affleck‘s “The Accountant.”
STX Entertainment
"The Conjuring 2" (June 10)

The sequel to 2013's "The Conjuring" welcomes back
Vera Farmiga and
Patrick Wilson as they try to help a single mother whose house is plagued by demons.
Warner Bros.
"Warcraft" (June 10)

Based on the popular video game, the fantasy film directed by Duncan Jones stars Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Ben Schnetzer and Clancy Brown, and chronicles the first interactions between humans and orcs.
Universal
"Now You See Me 2" (June 10)

Another sequel in a summer that's full of them, "Now You See Me 2" stars Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Sanaa Lathan, as the Four Horsemen reunite to take down a tech mogul.
Lionsgate
"Central Intelligence" (June 17)

The upcoming action comedy stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson as the unlikely duo teams up for a "top-secret"case.
Warner Bros.
"Finding Dory" (June 17)

The long-awaited sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo" centers on his blue friend, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who goes on a mission to find her long-lost loved ones.
Disney
"Swiss Army Man" (June 17)

Known as the "farting corpse" movie, it stars Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. The film was sold to A24 after premiering at Sundance Film Festival -- before a number of walkouts.
A24
"Free State of Jones" (June 24)

Originally slated for a May 13 release, "Free State of Jones" stars Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in a film set during the Civil War about a poor farmer from Mississippi who leads a rebel group.
STX Entertainment
"Independence Day: Resurgence" (June 24)

It's been two decades since the first "Independence Day" film, long enough for reinforcements called in by its vanquished alien invaders to mount an even bigger threat. Liam Hemsworth, Maiki Monroe, William Fichtner, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman star.
Fox
"The Shallows" (June 24)

A young surfer (Blake Lively) finds herself stranded on a small rock off shore after she's attacked by a great white shark in this horror movie. She'll spend the majority of it failing to return to land.
Sony/Columbia
"The BFG" (July 1)

The on-screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous novel of the same name is finally hitting the big screen, with Oscar-winner Mark Rylance starring as the big friendly giant. Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall and Ruby Barnhill also star.
Disney
"The Legend of Tarzan" (July 1)

We've all seen the stills of Alexander Skarsgard shirtless for this role, so naturally, we're excited to see him play Tarzan alongside Margot Robbie's Jane.
Warner Bros.
"The Purge: Election Year" (July 1)

"The Purge" films have performed consistently well at the box office despite their low budgets. This third installment in the franchise focuses on a presidential contender who vows to eliminate the annual Purge.
Universal
"Captain Fantastic" (July 8)

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella and Kathryn Hahn, this Sundance selection chronicles the reintegration into the real world of a man who's raised his kids in isolation for a decade.
Bleecker Street
"Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates" (July 8)

Anna Kendrick, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza and Adam DeVine star in this comedy about two brothers who place an online ad to find wedding dates -- but before they know it, the ad goes viral.

Fox
"The Secret Life of Pets" (July 8)

Illumination Entertainment is releasing another animated comedy, which features the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell and Hannibal Buress. The film is about what pets do as soon as their owners leave, but a criminal conspiracy soon threatens their happy lives.
Universal
"Ghostbusters" (July 15)

This remake of the 1984 classic has been stirring up controversy for multiple reasons since it was announced. Sony’s reboot is directed by Paul Feig and stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones as the new all-girl Ghostbusters.
Sony
"The Infiltrator" (July 15)

Bryan Cranston plays Robert Mazur, a DEA agent who goes undercover to expose the money-laundering schemes of the world’s top drug lords. Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, and Amy Ryan also star.
Broad Green Pictures
"Lights Out" (July 22)

A mother tries to save her children from a malicious force of the darkness; the same that haunted her when she was a little girl. Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Bateman star.
Warner Bros.
"Absolutely Fabulous" (July 22)

“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” is officially heading to the big screen, based on the cult BBC series that first aired from 1992 to 1995. Starring Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks, “AbFab” followed Edina Monsoon (Saunders), a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR agent who spent her time chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and “hip.”
Fox Searchlight
"Star Trek Beyond" (July 22)

The voyagers of the Starship Enterprise Redux are back, and this time they face a new threat on a planet the Federation has never seen before. Idris Elba joins the returning ensemble cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
Paramount
"Bad Moms" (July 29)

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate and Jada Pinkett Smith star in this comedy about three over-stressed moms joining forces on a quest for freedom and self-indulgence.
STX Entertainment
"Jason Bourne" (July 29)

The spy thriller is a sequel to 2012’s “Bourne Legacy” and welcomes back Matt Damon in the titular role. Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones also star. The official title of the film was announced during Super Bowl 50.
Universal
"Indignation" (July 29)

James Schamus is making his directorial feature film debut with "Indignation," a drama set in 1951 in which a Jewish student struggles with sexual repression at a small Ohio college.
Roadside/Summit
"The Founder" (August 5)

It’s “The Social Network” meets Quarter-Pounders as Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc, the man who took over McDonald’s and made it a household name. Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, and John Carroll Lynch also star.
Weinstein Company
"Suicide Squad" (August 5)

One of the most anticipated films of the year pulls together our favorite DC villains like the Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and Boomerang to form a team of supervillains forced to do the government's bidding. The David Ayer-directed film stars Viola Davis, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Jared Leto.
David Ayers Twitter/Warner Bros.
"Ben-Hur" (August 12)

Lew Wallace’s classic novel is getting another feature film adaptation, 57 years after William Wyler’s Oscar-winning epic. Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman and Toby Kebbell star.
Paramount
"Pete's Dragon" (August 12)

Disney remade the 1977 live action film of the same name, casting Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, and Oakes Fegley as Pete. The film is about an orphaned boy and his best friend, who just happens to be a dragon.
Disney
"Sausage Party" (August 12)

“Sausage Party” stars Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride and Paul Rudd, and centers on grocery store food items that want to "go home" with buyers but soon discover the truth behind their existence.
Sony/Columbia
"The Hollars" (August 12)

A struggling graphic novelist returns home, where an ailing mother, pregnant girlfriend, clingy ex, and chaotic family problems await. John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Sharlto Copley, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star.
Sony Pictures Classics
"War Dogs" (August 19)

At the height of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, two partying young entrepreneurs land an arms deal with the government worth hundreds of millions. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller star.
Warner Bros.
"Southside with You" (August 19)

A smash hit at this year’s Sundance, Richard Tanne’s romantic dramedy looks at the first date between Barack and Michelle Obama. Patrick Sawyers and Tika Sumpter star.
Roadside/Miramax
"Don't Breathe" (August 26)

Three teen thieves who steal from the rich decide to go for one last heist at the house of a wealthy, blind war veteran. Just one problem: he can hear them breathing, and he’s armed and dangerous. Dylan Minnette, Jane Levy, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang star.
Sony/TriStar
"Hands of Stone" (August 26)

Edgar Ramirez will lace up the gloves to play Roberto Duran, the legendary Panamanian boxer who KO’d Sugar Ray Leonard and became champion in four weight classes. Robert De Niro and Usher also star.
The Weinstein Company