The animated adaptation of the oldest English poem opened at number one in US and Canadian theatres, earning a hefty $28.1 million, 40 percent of which came from special 3-D showings in regular theaters and on IMAX screens.

Although Robert Zemeckis’ Hollywoodized version of the English poem captured the box office crown, "Beowulf" received mixed reviews from critics despite being credited for the sophisticated visual technique in its 3-D version.

The movie follows the story of Beowul (Ray Winstone)f who comes to the rescue of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) whose realm is attacked by Grendel (Crispin Glover), a vicious, hideous-looking monster, whose deviously seductive mother is played by Angelina Jolie.

The $150 million co-production between Paramount, Warner Bros., and Steve Bing's Shangri-La Entertainment, knocked down DreamWorks Animation’s "Bee Movie" which slipped on the second spot with $14.3 million.

The weekend's other wide release was Fox Walden's G-rated family fantasy title "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," starring Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman and Jason Bateman. Written and helmed by "Stranger Than Fiction" scribe Zach Helm, who makes his feature directorial debut, the movie earned $10 million placing fifth.

New Line’s Mike Newell's "Love in the Time of Cholera" which is based on the acclaimed book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and adapted by Ronald Harwood, opened in  852 theaters and cashed in 1.9 million, rounding up the top 10.