"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the fourth installment of a hugely successful series of films, made its much publicized and greatly anticipated debut in China.

In Shanghai, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California governor and former Hollywood star accompanied more than 300 'Harry' at the premier screening at the Shanghai Museum's cinema.

"I just want to say 'thank you very much for this great, great time we have had in Shanghai' and we are really looking forward to seeing this movie tonight," Schwarzenegger said at the ceremony prior to the screening.

Although the world premiere was slated for Friday, Beijing and Shanghai arranged for premier screenings on Thursday evening.

Dozens of Harry Potter fans dresses as their favorite characters from the movie waited outside the Stellar International Cineplex in Beijing.

"I've been waiting for this film for half a year!" said Wang Yifan, a student of the Beijing Agricultural College.

She said she has read all the six volumes of Harry Potter and keeps informed of comings and going of the young wizard on English websites.

Following the plot of R.C. Rowling's novel, the series takes a darker turn with Goblet of Fire as Harry is tormented by his evil nemesis Lord Voldemort and enters a dangerous multi-wizardry competition.

Young fans under the age of 13 in Britain and the United States will have to be accompanied by an adult to gain entrance to the film. The film received its PG13 rating for scenes that depict "moderate fantasy violence, threat and horror" -- including a graveyard battle with a gang of hooded Death Eaters.

Ms Lu Ya , mother of a 11-year-old girl who attended the premier screening, says the films and books help cultivate her daughter's imagination, adding that the movies always end with a positive message.

"I've told her that there is nothing to fear and asked her to get prepared for the scarier bits," the mother said.

Other cinemas in China were forbidden from show the film until Friday morning, according to Huaxia Film Company, one of the movie's Chinese distributors.

Despite a steep tickets price of 60 yuan (about 7.4 US dollars) the film has attracted more attention in China than "Star Wars III," according to Weng Li, deputy general manager of the film exhibition and distribution arm of the China Film Group, the other Chinese distributor of the film.

Box office revenue for "Star Wars III" in China through the first weekend ranked 10th around the world, the first time China was among top 10 of world box office results since it started importing US films in 1994.

"Tickets for the first showings of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' in many cinemas have been sold out," Weng said.

Source: Xinhua