LONDON (AFP) - Hundreds of fans, some who arrived a day early to see author J. Rowling and the star-studded cast of the film, packed into the square ahead of the evening red-carpet screening. "I'm super excited," said 18-year-old Stephani from the US state of Ohio, who came with her friend Gillian to catch a glimpse of actor Daniel Radcliffe, now on his fifth movie as Potter.

And they didn't have to wait long, as the 17-year-old actor turned up with his co-stars Emma Watson (who plays Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). Radcliffe admitted that the new movie is darker than previous ones. A Harry Potter fan in London "Toward the end of the film.

.. there's not many laughs to be had," he admitted, while insisting that there were some lighter moments.

"While there's not actually direct comedy, there's some really heartfelt emotion. "There's goodness in it," he said. Watson, who like Radcliffe and Grint has become a global star -- and likely a multi-millionaire -- through the Potter brand, admitted she still gets excited as red-carpet screenings.

"Every time I come to a premier. I see more and more fans. It gets bigger and bigger," she said, while adding of her character: "She's kind of changing, becoming more of a rebel.

but it's kind of fun to play." In his fifth film outing, Potter experiences his first kiss, though his integrity is questioned when some in wizard circles question his tale of confrontation with the evil Lord Voldemort. Radcliffe, 17, described the movie as the film he is most proud of, while Watson reckons it is the "most genuine" of the series.

Daniel Radcliffe at the Tokyo premiere The 150 million-dollar production will hit cinemas around the world from July 11. Tuesday's European and gala world premiere was being broadcast live on the film's British website from 1600 GMT. The Japanese national premiere was held in Tokyo last Thursday, when screaming fans were left spellbound as Radcliffe wowed the crowds in Japanese while twin towers of white light pierced the evening sky.

The US premiere takes place Thursday in Los Angeles. Potter fans have been eagerly looking forward to this month. As well as the film launch, the seventh and final book in the series "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" comes out on July 21.

Nearly 1.6 million people worldwide have pre-ordered the book from Internet retailer Amazon, breaking their pre-order record. "There was never any doubt that 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' was going to be the best-selling book of 2007, but to break the Amazon pre-order record with so much time still remaining before release is extraordinary," said head of books Christopher North.

Fact file on the Harry Potter book and movie series Rowling has said she will kill off two characters from the series, without revealing which ones. The six books published thus far have sold 325 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 64 languages, while the four films have grossed 3.5 billion dollars (2.

6 billion euros) worldwide. On Monday, Radcliffe became the youngest actor to have a wax lookalike in the famous Madame Tussauds waxwork museum. "Daniel has become a young British acting force to be reckoned with," said Ben Lovett of Madame Tussauds London.

"It's been great for the studio's sculptors to recreate someone who we've all watched growing up on the big screen." Also on Monday, 13 young vandals were given official warnings for causing 75,000 pounds (150,000 dollars, 110,000 euros) worth of damage to the train depot housing the Hogwarts Express in the films. The tearaways, aged 12 to 17, smashed more than 230 windows on the famous train at the depot in Carnforth, northwest England.

LONDON (AFP) - Hundreds of fans, some who arrived a day early to see author J.