Hollywood warms to the penguin parade

A snow storm, five cute penguins and a long line of celebrities caused havoc on Hollywood Boulevard when the Australian director George Miller staged the world premiere for his new film, Happy Feet.



The $111 million animated musical comedy is a showcase of Australian acting and filmmaking talent. The tale about a colony of singing penguins in Antarctica stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia and Magda Szubanski.

Sunday's premiere was grand even by Hollywood standards, with the usual red carpet switched to ice white and wind machines blowing fake snow in the air.

Five penguins, enticed by an animal trainer with a bucket of fish, waddled down the white carpet and posed, almost on cue, for the world's media.