The Game Plan stars ex-wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

The Disney movie took $16.3m (£8m) to hold off a challenge from Ben Stiller's new comedy The Heartbreak Kid, which had to settle for a number two opening.

Experts had expected a much stronger start for Stiller's reunion with directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly.

Terrorism thriller The Kingdom, with Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, slipped to three with takings of $9.3m (£4.5m).

Resident Evil: Extinction, the latest zombie spin-off from the popular computer game, was in fourth spot with takings of $4.3m (£2.1m), while The Seeker: The Dark is Rising opened in fifth with $3.7m (£1.8m).

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE 1. The Game Plan - $16.3m (£8m) 2. The Heartbreak Kid - $14m 3. The Kingdom - $9.3m (£4.5m) 4. Resident Evil: Extinction - $4.3m (£2.1m) 5. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising - $3.7m (£1.8m) 6. Good Luck Chuck - $3.5m (£1.7m) 7. Feel the Noise - $3.4m (1.67m) 8. 3:10 to Yuma - $3m (£1.47m) 9. The Brave One - $2.3m (£1.13m) 10. Mr Woodcock - $2m (£981,634) Source: Media by Numbers

Paramount and DreamWorks had expected more from The Heartbreak Kid, which reunites Stiller with the Farrelly brothers for the first time since the 1998 hit film There's Something About Mary.

A DreamWorks spokesman said the studio was "certainly very disappointed" with the opening.

The weekend's sixth highest earner was Good Luck Chuck, a raunchy comedy starring Jessica Alba, which took $3.5m (£1.7m), while Feel the Noise, produced by Jennifer Lopez, was in seventh.

The critically acclaimed remake of western 3:10 to Yuma was at eight with $3m (£1.47m), while a Jodie Foster's revenge thriller The Brave One came in ninth with $2.3m (£1.13m).