Ben Child 

Daniel Radcliffe stampede fears scupper Mexican premiere

Mexico City red-carpet event for Radcliffe's new indie romance, What If, cancelled due to former Harry Potter star's volatile fan base, writes Ben Child
  
  

Daniel Radcliffe
Disappearing Dan … Radcliffe. Photograph: Theo Kingma/Rex Photograph: Theo Kingma/Rex

It has been three years since Daniel Radcliffe last played boy wizard Harry Potter in the most successful film franchise of all time, but he has clearly lost none of his celebrity sparkle. A red-carpet event in Mexico City for the British actor's new film, What If, was forced to shut down on Thursday over fears Radcliffe might be mobbed by hundreds of adoring fans.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, local authorities and distribution executives moved to cancel the entire premiere of the indie romantic comedy after huge numbers of fans turned up to a shopping mall in the Mexican capital hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero. "We appreciate the response and enthusiasm for this event," Diamond Films said in a statement. "Sorry, but this decision is out of our control."

Organisers said the Mexican premiere would be rescheduled for later the same evening, minus the red-carpet razzamatazz. The 25-year-old actor stars in Michael Dowse's film as medical-school dropout Wallace, who becomes infatuated with a girl named Chantry (Zoe Kazan), only to find out she's already dating someone.

It has received mostly positive reviews since debuting at the Toronto film festival last September, though the Guardian's Henry Barnes was none too impressed. Reviewing the film under its previous title, The F-Word, he wrote: "There's little meat, loads of fat and way too much sugar. It's really hard to finish. It's liable to leave you queasy."

What If is released in the US on 8 August and in UK cinemas on 20 August.

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