Talk of the Town: "Up" on top

NOTE TO EDITORS: DUE TO TECHNICAL REASONS WE ARE UNABLE TO OFFER THIS REPORT WITH SEPARATE NATURAL SOUND TRACK AT THIS POINT

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS~**FOR USE OF "UP" FILM CLIP MUST COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES/PIXAR AND NOT FOR LIBRARY OR WIRELESS USE / FOR USE OF "NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN" FILM CLIP MUST COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX AND NOT FOR LIBRARY OR WIRELESS USE / FOR USE OF "DRAG ME TO HELL" FILM CLIP MUST COURTESY UNIVERSAL AND NOT FOR LIBRARY OR WIRELESS USE.

"Up" soared to the top of the weekend box office in North America, selling a better then expected 68 million dollars worth of tickets on its opening weekend. The 3D animated tale of a grouchy widower and a young boy who fly away in a house lifted by balloons was the the third biggest opening for Pixar after "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo."

Last week's champ, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" dropped to second place in another good week for family-oriented movies with broad appeal.

While, the Horror newcomer "Drag Me To Hell" rounded out the top three.

Actress Angelina Jolie was hospitalized briefly on Friday (May 29, 2009) after suffering a minor injury while shooting an action sequence in Long Island, New York, for her upcoming film "Salt." The studio called the star's hospitalization a "precautionary measure."

Some 500 actors, including prominent stars George Clooney and Tom Hanks, urged members of the Screen Actors Guild to vote "yes" on a new contract with Hollywood's major studios. The ballots are expected to be counted by early June.

In Los Angeles, I'm John Russell for Reuters.