Batman the dark knight movie

Hundreds of Bat-fans descended on London's Leicester Square for the European premiere of The Dark Knight.

Already a smash hit in the US, the latest installment in the Batman franchise, set a record at the United States box office, smashing last year's Spiderman 3 record.

On top of the box office success Heath Ledger's depiction of the Joker is already generating Oscar buzz and Christian Bale's tortured hero is even more intense than before.

"The thing that's good with this one, it had a lot of hype about it, but the hype is real, it really is a bloody good movie," said Christian Bale, actor.

Veteran actor Michael Caine, who plays Alfred Pennyworth the faithful butler to multi-billionaire Bruce Wayne, was also pleased with the films success.

"I was talking to one of producers and she said she went to a cineplex in the outskirts of New York and there were 18 cinemas all playing Batman and they were all full and so we must have done something right somewhere along the way but I saw the movie and I think it's wonderful." said Caine.

You know, this is just one part of Heath but he is so extraordinary in the movie, I think it is a wonderful way to honour that part of him," said Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress.

The Dark Knight released in the UK on July 25.