It broke box office records when it opened in the US, so it wasn’t surprising that the London premiere of Spider-Man was a particularly star-studded affair. “Spidey” himself, 26-year-old Toby Maguire, and his on-screen love interest Kirsten Dunst were both on hand for the Leicester Square screening. Despite the torrential downpour, both stars greeted the waiting crowd and thanked them for turning up in such bad weather.
“My feet are soaking wet and I’ve ruined my leather shoes but I’ve been in Lodnon before so I’m used to the rain,” said Kirsten. The arrival of her co-star Tobey won an especially enthusiastic cheer from fans. “Spider-Man is a superhero we can all relate to and he has stood the test of time for the past 40 years,” said the Cider House Rules actor. “It was a lot of fun to make and I did some of my own stunts which was fanatastic for me.”
Joining them on the red carpet were another action hero - 007 star Pierce Brosnan - girl band Atomic Kitten and model Sophie Dahl. Also putting in an appearance in a particularly appropriate “spider’s web” design dress complete with white gold and diamond arachnid accessories from upmarket jewellers Mouawad, was model Jodie Kidd.
Liberty X’s Michelle Heaton and TV presenter Tania Strecker also opted for spider-based themes in their choice of outfit.
The film is based on the Marvel comic book classic, and made history when it took £78 million over three days when it opened in North American, beating even Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. It details the story of a nerdy teenager who suddenly develops special powers after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider.
Spider-Man goes on general release in the UK on June 14. It was originally set to open earlier but was delayed when scenes featuring New York’s Twin Towers had to be removed from trailers following the September 11 attack.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
