THE latest Lord Of The Rings blockbuster is proving a huge hit at Huddersfield's cinema - even before it has started.
Hundreds of people are expected to crowd into the UCI next Wednesday for the very first showing ... at 10.30am.
Cinema bosses said there was vast public interest.
Adriane Whitham, UCI administrator, said: "Generally we don't get many advance bookings.
"But with Lord Of The Rings we have some screens sold out. The 7pm screening on launch day sold out days ago.
"People are assuming it will be packed so they are getting in early."
Holmfirth Picturedrome will show the epic from 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Elland's Rex Cinema will launch its showings on the same day at 6.45pm.
The UCI is whetting fans' appetites with a back-to-back screening of the first two Lord Of The Rings films on Tuesday.
The six-hour marathon starts at 6pm.
The first two instalments in the trilogy made close to one billion dollars - about £620m - each and this one is being tipped to make even more.
It is expected to become only the second film to pass the one billion dollar mark - coming after top-selling Titanic.
The critics are now wondering whether Return Of The King could win the ultimate prize of best picture at next year's Oscars.
The fantasy adventure is even bigger than the first two films, weighing in at three hours and 11 minutes and featuring a series of spectacular battle scenes.
It again follows hobbit Frodo, played by Elijah Wood, as he continues his journey through Middle Earth to destroy the Ring.
Director Peter Jackson has described it as his favourite of all the three films, which are based on JRR Tolkien's books.
His next project is a remake of King Kong.
