LOS ANGELES: “The Boss,” a slapstick comedy widely panned by critics, ruled the North American box office for its opening weekend, edging out blockbuster “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” industry estimates showed Sunday.

Starring Melissa McCarthy, “The Boss” tells of a billionaire who emerges penniless from a spell in jail for insider trading and is forced to move in with a former employee.

Despite withering reviews “The Boss” grossed $23.5 million across 3,400 screens for the weekend, according to estimates from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

“The Boss” edged out the iconic superheroes — Batman played by Ben Affleck and Superman by Henry Cavill — who had ruled the box office for the past two weeks.

But “Batman v Superman” still grossed $23.4 million for its third weekend, lifting its total domestic takings to $296.7 million.

Third place went to animated Disney film “Zootopia,” about an intrepid rabbit police officer who works with a fox to solve a crime in the animal kingdom.

The movie grossed $14.4 million, lifting its total takings to $296 million after six weeks on the screen.

The comedy sequel “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” which reunites the main cast from the 2002 hit of the same name, fell one spot to fourth with $6.4 million.