Argo tops weekend box office

Acclaimed Iran hostage drama "Argo" took home its first box office win over the weekend, grabbing 12.4 million (USD) in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters.

The film moved up to the top spot after two weeks in second place, helped by rave reviews from critics and audiences who praised the story about a mission to rescue U.S. government employees from Iran in 1979.

"Hotel Transylvania" which features voice work by Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez, earned 9.5 million and set a record for a September film opening in the United States and Canada when it opened on September 28, and has performed solidly since its release.

"Cloud Atlas," starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, earned 9.4 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates.

The film has divided critics with six interweaving stories that span from the 1840s to the future.

The stars came out Saturday night (October 27) for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Film Gala, where the likes of Tom Hanks, Amy Adams and Salma Hayek were on hand for an event honoring filmmaker Stanley Kubrick.