Travolta mobbed at London première

A smiling John Travolta in London to promote his new movie

Hollywood star John Travolta was mobbed by hundreds of screaming fans when he arrived for the UK première of his new film Battlefield Earth on Thursday.

The 46-year-old actor, sporting a new cropped hairstyle, delayed the screening at the Warner Village cinema in London's Leicester Square by 15 minutes while he signed autographs.

When he finally made it inside he was given a standing ovation as he told the audience of his joy at being in the city.

Travolta plays a giant alien warrior in the sci-fi film, based on a book by Scientology guru L Ron Hubbard.

Medallion man: Travolta as Tony Manero in the 1977 classic Saturday Night Fever

The movie, which is set in the year 3000, has been savaged by critics since its release in the United States.

But it represents a personal triumph for Scientology devotee Travolta, who has spent years trying to raise the finance to make the film.

Other celebrities involved with the controversial religious order include Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Before the screening, director Roger Christian defended his picture, saying it was based on a comic strip and was intended as a piece of escapism.

He told the audience Battlefield Earth could be described as "pulp science fiction".

Travolta, who also produced the movie, said: "I'm thrilled to be here. It's great to be in London.

"I just want you to have a blast tonight and enjoy the movie. We'll see you at the party."

Heavy handed

Earlier in the day, the star of Pulp Fiction, Grease and Saturday Night Fever visited Waterstone's book shop in Piccadilly to sign copies of Hubbard's book.

But things did not run as smoothly as planned, with accusations from some fans of heavy-handed security guards and complaints that Travolta only stayed at the book store for an hour.

Screenwriter John Smith, 36, one of the few people in the shop who hadn't come to meet the actor, moaned: "This is meant to be a book store for people to come in and buy books, not something to fan John Travolta's ego."

Travolta plays this extraterrestrial in the film - to critical derision

The majority were happy, though. Shop worker Sharon Travolta, 35, who changed her name in 1986 because of her devotion to the actor, said: "He looked incredible. I'd read he was supposed to have put on weight, but he looked brilliant."

Londoner Phil Brooks, 20, spent 90 minutes queuing to meet Travolta and emerged saying: "He said hello, shook my hand and gave me a wink. I've never read any L Ron Hubbard before, I bought the books as presents for my cousins."

Publicity surrounding the film has returned the book to the best seller list in the US, with one million copies being sold in the last three months alone.

The film opens in the UK on 2 June.