Johnny Depp has been tipped for an Oscar for the role

The movie tells the story of Peter Pan author JM Barrie, played by Depp, and the inspiration for his famous tale.

Proceeds from the London premiere, in Leicester Square on Sunday, will go to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, which treats sick children.

Winslet plays Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, a mother whose young sons inspired Barrie to write the classic.

Barrie, who never had children of his own, met the boys in London's Kensington Gardens.

Some US critics have tipped Depp to win an Oscar nomination for his performance as the Scottish writer, but he played down the plaudits.

Accent trouble

Depp said: "I can't say that occupies my every thought or every moment. That's not my job to think about that - but if people want to say that, that is really sweet."

Depp has admitted he had trouble with the Scottish accent required for the role.

"Musically, rhythmically, I initially couldn't quite get a hold of it. Luckily, I found this dialect coach who helped me out a great deal."

I don't think I could have played Sylvia if I wasn't a mother Kate Winslet

Winslet, who wore a floor-length turquoise Ben de Lisi dress to the premiere, has said being the mother of two young children helped her with the part.

"I don't think I could have played Sylvia if I wasn't a mother," she said.

"There is something about the physicality of being a parent that you don't know about until you become one."

Arriving at the premiere, Winslet explained how she took the young stars of the film - including 12-year-old British actor Freddie Highmore, who plays Peter Llewelyn Davies - under her wing.

She said: "I had to whip them into shape every now and again, but there was lots of hugging and it was all very family-like."

'Fictional' retelling

The film also stars screen legends Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman.

The movie has been accused of playing down the ambiguous nature of Barrie's obsession with children.

Some descendants of the Llewelyn Davies family are also said to have expressed some disappointment that the film does not "stick to the facts".

But film studio Miramax said the production was meant to be a fictional retelling rather than a biopic.