Potter magic sweeps Japan

Updated 13.34 Fri Jun 29 2007
Keywords: Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, J K Rowling, Harry Potter

Harry Potter fever is set to sweep the globe as lucky fans in Japan were treated to a sneak preview of the latest magical instalment.

Japanese filmgoers were able to see Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix - the fifth film in the hugely popular series - five days before its official world premiere in London.

Japanese filmgoers were able to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - the fifth film in the hugely popular series - five days before its offical world premiere in London

Daniel Radcliffe stars as the boy wizard in all of the films based on the best-selling books by JK Rowling.

The star explained that he hasn't watched himself grow up on screen: "The thing is, it's probably stranger for everybody else than for me because I don't see myself as having grown up on screen, I simply see myself as having grown up.

"So it's probably stranger for people who have watched all the films, I have seen the films obviously, but I don't go back and watch them so I am not being constantly reminded of how young I was. So for me, its not perhaps as big a deal as it is for everybody else," he added.

And the whirlwind success of the series is set to continue as author JK Rowling has recently finished the seventh and final book in the set.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is to go on sale later this month - with the screen version possibly hitting our cinema screens in November 2008.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.