Hollywood stars are preparing for the UK première of Spider-Man, which is expected to break box office records when it is released next week.

The comic-book adaptation is predicted to be the biggest hit in UK cinemas this year.

It has already broken box office records in the US, becoming the first film to take over $100m (£67m) in its opening weekend.

Tobey Maguire is expected to be in London

Leading man Tobey Maguire is due to attend the première at the Odeon Leicester Square on Wednesday night along with co-star Kirsten Dunst.

Maguire, 26, plays nerdy teenager Peter Parker, who develops special powers after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider, while 20-year-old Dunst is romantic interest Mary-Jane Watson.

Directed by Evil Dead mastermind Sam Raimi, it also features Willem Dafoe as Spider-Man's arch enemy, The Green Goblin.

Good reviews

Maguire, who won critical acclaim in The Ice Storm, was so desperate for the part that he wore a Spider-Man costume for his screen test.

The film has had good reviews in the US, as well as taking $28.2m (£19.3m) on its opening day across North America - breaking the previous $22m (£15m) record set by the Harry Potter movie last autumn.

It has also beaten box office rival Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones across the Atlantic.

However, the sci-fi epic has been shown on less screens than Spider-Man after director George Lucas insisted it could only be screened in cinemas with digital sound.

The film, which opens in the UK on 14 June, is set in New York and scenes had to be altered to remove footage of the Twin Towers following the 11 September tragedy.