London plays host to Potter premiere

The European premiere of the third Harry Potter film takes place tonight in London's Leicester Square.

11:33 30 May 2004

The European premiere of the third Harry Potter film takes place tonight in London's Leicester Square.

The film's stars, including Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson (Hermione Grainger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), will attend the event.

The Prisoner of Azkaban will be screened at the Odeon Leicester Square at 18:00 BST.

The eagerly-awaited third Harry Potter movie, directed by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, has received rave reviews ahead of its release.

The Times commented that "you could spend weeks drooling over the artwork in a single scene" and critics have praised the film for being darker than the previous two.

Hundreds of young fans are expected to line the red carpet as the stars, including Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson, and Gary Oldman, arrive.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is expected to build on the phenomenal success of the first two films when it goes on general release on Monday.