The Prince of Wales joined Will Smith and a plethora of celebrities on Tuesday at the world premiere of the new Muhammad Ali biopic, Ali, in which the Men In Black actor stars. Hundreds of fans braved the cold to get a glimpse of the famous faces – who included supermodel Heidi Klum, Sir Bob Geldof and ‘It’ girl Victoria Hervey – arriving at London’s Leicester Square for the event, a charity screening to benefit the Cinema And Television Benevolent Fund.
The crowd let out a deafening roar when Will, who stars as the three-time world heavyweight champ in the £73 million film, stopped to sign autographs before heading up the red carpet.
The 33-year-old, who some say may earn an Oscar for the role, underwent gruelling workouts to take on a boxer’s physique and intensive speech therapy to master the boxing legend’s unique voice. “Every aspect of this film has been difficult,” says Will, “from the dialogue training to the physical training, to the hours and hours of fighting.”
Other celebrities at the premiere included Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox and socialite Tamara Beckwith. The world of sports was well-represented, with Arsenal footballer Patrick Vieira, boxer Nigel Benn and British Olympic boxing gold medallist Audley Harrison on hand to celebrate the film’s opening.
Ali, directed by The Insider’s Michael Mann, will be released in the US on Christmas Day, and will be shown on UK screens in February.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
