Christmas came early to London's Leicester Square on Wednesday night, when Tom Hanks jetted into town to promote his latest movie. Organisers managed to transform the West End landmark into a winter wonderland for the gala premiere of Polar Express.
Plenty of fake snow was used to give the square that festive feel, while hundreds of fans got into the holiday spirit by donning Santa hats and munching on mince pies. And the chilly temperatures did nothing to dampen the crowd's enthusiasm when Tom made his entrance across a specially-erected red bridge. "That was almost impossible to get across," he joked. "This is Leicester Square like you've never seen it before."
The new flick, which is an animated big screen version of Chris Van Allsburg's classic children's book, tells the story of a young boy's adventures as he journeys to the North Pole in the hope of meeting Santa. Tom had his work cut out in the movie, because he plays five different roles, including the eight-year-old hero. Cutting-edge technology, similar to that used to create Gollum in Lord Of The Rings, was employed to bring his characters to life.
The two-time Oscar winner is hoping his latest production will bring a little festive cheer to cinema fans around the world. "Christmas is a special time of year and you get out of it what you put into it," he said. "I believe in the spirit of Christmas."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
