Los Angeles ? The animated telling of “Beowulf,” who rids a Danish kingdom of the feared beast Grendel, slew the box office over the weekend, giving a huge boost to 3-D films in the process.

The Paramount Pictures release earned $28.1 million in its opening weekend – 40 percent of which came from special 3-D showings in regular theaters and on Imax screens.

“If this isn’t a mandate on the popularity and viability of 3-D, I don’t know what is,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The animated family film “Bee Movie,” written by Jerry Seinfeld, had the second-highest gross of the weekend with $14.3 million in ticket sales, bringing its total after three weeks to $98.8 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters:

1. “Beowulf,” $28.1 million.

2. “Bee Movie,” $14.3 million.

3. “American Gangster,” $13.2 million.

4. “Fred Claus,” $12 million.

5. “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” $10 million.

6. “Dan in Real Life,” $4.5 million.

7. “No Country for Old Men,” $3 million.

8. “Lions for Lambs,” $3 million.

9. “Saw IV,” $2.3 million.

10. “Love in the Time of Cholera,” $1.9 million.