Japanese audience will be the first to see the next instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise, according to the Japanese division of Hollywood studio Warner Bros.

Following in the footsteps of recent blockbuster Spider-Man 3, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will have its international world premiere in Tokyo on June 28, with star Daniel Radcliffe to walk the red carpet. The film will open in Japanese theatres about a month later, on July 21.
The film, which is based on the fifth story from bestselling author J.K. Rowling's globally popular series, is scheduled for a London premiere on July 3, and will be released to general U.K. audiences on July 12.

The film's North American premiere is set for Los Angeles on July 8 and it will hit North American theatres on July 13.The four previous Harry Potter films have grossed more than $3.5 billion US worldwide and the upcoming fifth instalment joins Spider-Man 3 as one of this summer's most highly anticipated releases.

Spider-Man 3's well-received and well-attended debut in Tokyo — despite the mixed reviews the film garnered from critics — is considered one of the factors that helped the sequel subsequently score opening weekend records across international markets.This summer will also see Rowling release her seventh and final Potter story — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — on July 21.