ACTION movie Spider-Man looks set to become Bolton's biggest ever film money-spinner.

Spidermania is gripping the town as hundreds of people have booked to see the film over its preview weekend.

It is already making thousands of pounds profit for the town's two cinemas and is on its way to breaking movie records.

Pre-bookings are even eclipsing this Summer's other big smash, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.

And Spider-Man is on its way to knocking Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter into a wizard's hat.

Studio chiefs will be rubbing their hands with glee especially after Spider-Man took an all-time high of £85 million over its first weekend in America.

UGC Cinemas, in Astley Bridge, will show the film at midnight on Friday. Movie bosses have ordered that the film cannot be shown before that time.

It will continue to screen Spider-Man on the hour, every hour. Warner Village Cinemas in Horwich will do the same.

James Booth, manager of UGC, said: "There have been some amazing reviews for Spider-Man and it looks like the message has filtered down because sales are fantastic.

"People seem to love comic book heroes. When Batman came out in 1989 it became the highest-grossing film.

"There are many fans who want see how their superheroes translate to the big screen. A lot of them have also seen the original Spider-Man films and are eager to see the amazing graphics that bring them up-to-date."

Actor Tobey Maguire's portrayal of comic book crusader Spider-Man has vowed critics who have hailed him as the first actor to make a disguised hero more interesting out of costume than in it.

But although his film appears to be winning the battle with Star Wars, it has to beat the next big thing, Austin Powers: Goldmember.

It also has to see off competition from the second Lord of the Rings film due out at Christmas.

Mr Booth said: "There are some great films out this year. I can't see Austin Powers being as big as Star Wars or Spider-Man though because its 12 certificate limits the audience."

Star Wars is still proving to be a huge attraction.

Mr Booth said: "Many people are coming to see it two, three and even four times. I know that because I keep seeing them in the queue."

Repeat viewings of Spider-Man could surpass Star Wars' current tally, however. The former is said to hold the title for the most clangers in Hollywood history and fans may be eager to spot them all.

Ticket sales were expected to have been hit by the web of film piracy which has seen digital copies of Peter Parker's adventures distributed on DVD and over the Internet.

Sharon Harris, manager of Warner Village Cinemas, said: "We're going really well at the moment and we're expecting even greater interest in the days leading up the previews on June 7."

The film opens officially on June 14 and it has to beat -- in terms of US takings -- Titanic (£420 million), Star Wars (£323 million), ET the Extra-Terrestrial (£304 million), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (£302 million) and Jurassic Park (£250 million).