10:14pm UK, Thursday July 03, 2003

The stars of new movie The Hulk were treated to a monster turnout when they attended the film's UK premiere.

180 Eric Bana & holly valance hulk premiere

Aussie duo: Valance and Bana

More than 1,000 fans were at London's Leicester Square for the first showing of the action movie.

The film took more than $62m (£37m) in its first weekend at the US box office, a record June opening.

Eric Bana, who plays the Hulk's alter-ego Bruce Banner, was given a rapturous reception by the crowd.

Eight months pregnant Jennifer Connelly, who plays Betty Ross in the film, arrived on the arm of husband Paul Bettany.

Australian Bana, who flew in from Malta where he is filming opposite Brad Pitt in Troy, joked that he could not find an appropriate outfit for the occasion.

Dressed in a charcoal grey suit, he said: "I looked everywhere for a green suit but I couldn't find a nice one so I've had to make do with this."

Pop star Holly Valance turned up to support her fellow Australian, and other celebrities included Chris Eubank and Daley Thompson.

Bana stars as the mild-mannered scientist who is transformed into The Hulk when a nuclear experiment goes wrong.

The green 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."

The film was made by Taiwanese director Ang Lee, best known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.