8:19am UK, Thursday July 03, 2003

Monster movie of the summer - The Hulk - gets its UK premiere this evening.

The £100m blockbuster has already demolished box office competition in the US.

180 Hulk Film Release

Incredible Hulk: You wouldn't like him when he's angry

Now it is set to take British cinemas by storm when it opens later this month.

Australian actor Eric Bana, who plays the Hulk's alter-ego Bruce Banner, and co-star Jennifer Connelly are due to attend the screening in London's Leicester Square.

But the film's giant green hero is not expected to make an appearance.

Mr Universe Lou Ferrigno featured as the monster in the original 1970s Hulk TV series, but the star in Ang Lee's new film is computer-generated.

The Hulk is the latest Marvel Comics creation to make it on to the big screen, following in the footsteps of X-Men and Spider-Man.

The first appearance of The Incredible Hulk was in a 1962 comic strip.

The story revolves around mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner, who was renamed David in the TV show.

He is transformed into the Hulk when a nuclear experiment goes wrong.

The monster appears whenever Banner is in a rage, leading to the immortal lines: "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Taiwanese director Ang Lee is best known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Sense And Sensibility.

His new picture took over £37m at the US box office when it opened last month -a record June opening. It opens in the UK on July 18.