A Clooney-Eyed View of Fantastic Mr. Fox's World Premiere

The international press conference for Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox came and went yesterday, with little incident and nary a husky Italian reporter stripping down to a jockstrap and declaring his bearish love for its star George Clooney, the foxy man of his dreams. Six hours later, a who's who of London haut monde would file through Leicester Square for the (awesome) film's world premiere, which also served as the gala opening to the Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival. Sadly, no Beckhams, Ritchies, or even former Anderson muse Gwyneth Paltrow were on hand, the last of whom could have been relied upon to deliver some variation of, "Movie premieres in London are just so much more -- how can I put this -- storied. Grand. Don't get me wrong -- I like U.S. premieres too, but red carpets are just so much younger there. The carpet we're on right now? Elizabeth I strolled across it on her way into Christopher Marlowe's Jew of Malta. True story!"

Our coverage -- including nerdy tourist photos! -- after the jump.

Leicester Square is the site of any major U.K. film premiere, the circular pedestrian thoroughfare nicknamed "Theatreland" for being home to three sizable movie theaters -- the Odeon Leicester, Odeon West End and the Empire. Like Grauman's Chinese Theater, it too features impressions of celebrity extremities along its sidewalk -- for example, Tom Cruise's Oompa-Loompa-like hands are there, pressed into bronze for posterity. Unlike the Chinese Theater, however, it isn't overrun by recent parolees dressed in urine-soaked Teletubbies costumes and threatening to "pan your head in if you don't cough up 5 quid for a Polaroid with the likes of me."

For premieres, a red carpet platform is erected around the square's centerpiece -- a 19th century statue of William Shakespeare surrounded by dolphins. (Little-known fact: the Bard loved SeaWorld-Upon-Avon.)

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