Hundreds of fans braved torrential downpours to welcome the stars at the premi�re of the new Spider-Man movie.

A host of celebrities were out in force at London's Leicester Square for the London showing of the action adventure movie.

Lead actors Tobey Maguire, 26, and Kirsten Dunst managed to keep smiling as they greeted wellwishers, thanking them for staying out in the bad weather.

Tobey Maguire stars as the superhero

Dunst, 20, who stars as Spider-Man's love interest Mary-Jane Watson, was upbeat as she made her way into the gala screening.

"My feet are soaking wet and I've ruined my leather shoes but I've been to London before so I'm used to the rain," she said.

Test of time

Maguire, who plays Spider-Man and nerdy alter ego Peter Parker, received one of the biggest cheers of the evening as he arrived.

"I think it's a great movie and a lot of people will be excited to see it. Spider-Man is a superhero we can all relate to and he has stood the test of time for the past 40 years.

"It was a lot of fun to make and I did some of my own stunts which was fantastic for me."

The comic-book adaptation opens in the UK on 14 June but it has already broken box office records in the US, becoming the first movie to take more than $100m (�67m) in its opening weekend.

Mis-teeq's Alesha and So Solid Crew fiance MC Harvey were all smiles

It was set to be released earlier but scenes involving the Twin Towers had to be removed following the 11 September tragedy.

Many of the stars who turned out for the event chose not to sign autographs for fans, instead opting to get into the dry as quickly as possible.

A few celebrities did take the time to greet fans including boy band 3SL, Liberty X, Mis-teeq's Alesha, pregnant Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton and Frank Skinner.

Webbed clothing

There was a big cheer too for Pop Idol finalist Darius Danesh who did a quick autograph signing session, unlike the show's runner-up Gareth Gates who was whisked inside.

Liberty X's Michelle Heaton went for a spider theme with her outfit

Other guests included Vic Reeves, Will Self, Les Dennis, Travis and Melinda Messenger.

Getting themselves notices were Liberty X's Michelle Heaton, model Jodie Kidd and TV presenter Tania Strecker, who went for a spider's web theme with their outfits.

Maguire's previous movies include Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules and the critically acclaimed The Ice Storm.

Dunst has been acting since she was a young girl, appearing with Tom Cruise in Interview With a Vampire at the age of 11.

Her numerous film credits include Wag the Dog, Bring it On and Get Over It.

Both the Spider-Man stars are signed up to appear in the sequel, which will once again be directed by Sam Raimi.