Alexander rides into town

Hollywood heartthrobs Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie are in London tonight for the premier of the Oliver Stone epic, Alexander.

17:00 05 January 2005

Hollywood heartthrobs Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie are in London tonight for the premier of the Oliver Stone epic, Alexander.

US critics have slammed the story of Alexander the Great as "puerile" and "indifferent", while audiences have also stayed away.

The film has made only $34 million (18 million) at the US box office, compared to the $133 million (71 million) netted by that other Greek epic, Troy.

Director Stone, who will also be attending tonight's Leicester Square premier alongside actor Val Kilmer, is hoping that the film will receive a better reception this side of the Atlantic.

One of the most contentious elements of the film has been its portrayal of Alexander as bisexual - a claim that has led to threats of lawsuits from Greeks outraged at this perceived assault on a national hero.

Stone recently told the Daily Telegraph: "Alexander was a winner pity the film wasn't."

He said that he and Farrell, who appeared in Phone Booth and Minority Report and plays the 4th century BC leader in the biopic, were upset by the bad reviews.

"The criticism has been ball-breaking. I was devastated, Colin Farrell was devastated," he said.

"The audiences, they didn't know the story and they were confused by it. I did that wrong. That was my fault."

He added: "I am very nervous about the British and European openings."