LOS ANGELES — Tyler Perry wants Madea dead.

That may come as a surprise, given the big-hearted but foul-tempered, pistol-packin’ granny has emerged as director-writer-producer-actor Perry’s signature character and, now, his cash cow.

“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” topped the U.S. box office last weekend with $41 million in its first three days of release. The dramedy marks Perry’s all-time opening weekend, and is poised to sprint past the overall take of his top-grossing film, “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion” (2006).

Still, Perry confesses: “I would love to see Madea die a slow death in the next film.”