Spidey stars caught in fans web

Spider-Man 2 is the £100 million movie which is set to be the big summer blockbuster - but its stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst decided to spend time with their fans rather than attend their own premiere screening.

The Hollywood actors spent so long signing autographs and chatting that the film was almost over by the time they were inside the cinema in Los Angeles.

"It's great to see everybody out here for this great film," shouted Maguire above the noise of the crowd. "It's hard to ignore it when so many people arrive for the start of a film - one they won't even see tonight. I guess we must be doing something right." Maguire, 28, paused for a moment as a security guard whispered that the film was starting, but decided to remain with the fans. He eventually made it inside more than an hour after the film had started.

"They were great," said Spider-Man fan Mick Moorely. "Kirsten is really hot and we've been down here since 9am." Spider-Man 2 is set two years after the first film's storyline ends. The character's alter-ego Peter Parker has fallen behind at college and the demands of his secret exploits have also taken a toll on his personal life.

Dunst, 22, plays his love interest Mary Jane, while British star Alfred Molina plays Doc Ock, who wreaks havoc upon New York City with his mechanical tentacles. They were joined at the premiere by Spider-Man comic strip creator Stan Lee, and Willem Dafoe, who played the villain in the first film, which set the record for taking the most money on an opening weekend, making nearly $ 115 million (£63 million).

It went on to become the seventhbiggest grossing film of all time with around £450 million at the box office. As for the first film, Maguire went on a strict diet and exercise regime to prepare for the sequel.

He said making Spider-Man 2 was much easier because everybody already knew what was expected of them.

"The maturity everybody gained from the first movie as artists, filmmakers, actors and crew members adds to what we do in this film," he said.

Maguire was nearly replaced in Spider-Man 2 by Jake Gyllenhaal - Dunst's boyfriend - after a row with producers over a recurring back injury.

At one point, Spider-Man is holding up a falling building and complains: "This is kinda heavy" - an in-joke which signals Maguire is happily on board for Spider-Man 3.

The film opens in Britain on 16 July.