The reboot of “Ghostbusters” starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig as its namesake paranormal-activity investigators opened in second place to an estimated $46 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, a performance that leaves a long road to profitability.

Few movies of the summer have come into theaters with more buzz than “Ghostbusters,” which replaced the 1984 cast with a female foursome that also included “Saturday Night Live” cast members Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. The film is among the most high-profile projects this year for its studio, Sony Corp.’s SNE, -2.12% Sony Pictures Entertainment.