A 3-D animated movie using images and voices of live actors topped North American box office this weekend, giving a boost to the new movie genre as Hollywood hopes to lure audiences back into theaters with more such productions.

According to preliminary box office figures released Sunday, Paramount's remake of the ancient English epic poem Beowulf took in an estimated US$28.1 million over the three-day period in US and Canadian theaters.

The film, directed by Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis, used action-capture technology to render lifelike images of its stars Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. About 40 percent of the film's ticket sales in its opening weekend came from special 3-D showings in regular theaters and on Imax screens.

Movie industry analysts said the film's success at box office indicated that movie-goers have now become acceptive of such effects-heavy productions, which would encourage Hollywood studios to make more animated-live action films in 3-D.

DreamWorks Animation's Bee Movie, was in second place with US$14.3 million after the family-friendly animated comedy climbed to the top spot at box office last week. The film has grossed US$93.9 million in three weeks of release.

New York crime saga American Gangster with Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe came in third with US$13.2 million over the weekend. It has taken in a total of US$101 million in three weeks.

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," a 20th Century Fox fantasy film about a toy store starring Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, opened in fifth place with US$10 million, following Warner Bros. Christmas comedy "Fred Claus" in fourth with US$12 million.

The 12 top-selling movies took in a combined US$94.6 million this weekend, down 29.2 percent from that in the same period a year ago, as ticket sales have been down in eight of the past nine weekends, according to Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2007)