Tyler Perry - Contributed Photo

LOS ANGELES, Oct 14 (Reuters)

The latest movie from writer/director/actor Tyler Perry crushed some high-powered competition at the weekend box office in North America, earning more than the combined total of films starring Oscar winners George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, Perry's romantic comedy-drama Why Did I Get Married? sold $21.5 million worth of tickets. It ended the two-week reign of the family comedy The Game Plan, which slipped to a distant No. 2 with $11.5 million.

Clooney's legal drama Michael Clayton jumped 19 places to No. 3 after expanding nationally in its second weekend. It earned $11 million, tying with 'We Own the Night,' a new crime drama starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg.

Blanchett took the No. 6 spot with the historical drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which opened to a disappointing $6.2 million. Just ahead of her was the Ben Stiller comedy The Heartbreak Kid with $7.4 million in its second weekend.

Perry's Why Did I Get Married? revolves around the turbulent lives of four married couples, and he is joined in the cast by the likes of Janet Jackson and Jill Scott. Industry pundits had largely marked down the movie's chances, despite Perry's success with such efforts as Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion.

"This is the last time that anyone will underestimate Tyler Perry," said Tom Ortenberg, head of distribution at the Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.-owned studio.

As is the case with Perry movies, the audience was heavily black - about 90 per cent - and 65 per cent of moviegoers were female, Ortenberg said.

1 Why Did I Get Married? $ 21.5 million

2 The Game Plan $ 11.5 million

3 We Own the Night $ 11.0 million

3 Michael Clayton $11.0 million

5 The Heartbreak Kid $7.4 million

6 Elizabeth: The Golden Age $ 6.2 million

7 The Kingdom . $ 4.6 million

8 Across the Universe $4.0 million

9 Resident Evil: Extinction $2.7 million

10 The Seeker $2.2 million