Hugh Jackman packs a punch in Real Steel

Hollywood star Hugh Jackman said his new film was an "underdog sports story" that packs a punch.

The X-Men star, who plays washed-up boxer Charlie Kenton in Real Steel, was greeted by hundreds of fans at its premiere in London's Leicester Square.

The film, set in the future where massive steel robots slug it out in the ring instead of humans, sees Jackman's character team up with his son in an attempt to train up a robot to compete in a big fight.

Jackman, who took boxing lessons from legendary fighter Sugar Ray Leonard, said he would happily do a sequel.

He said: "I'm signed up for it, I have to be, if there is one but that's called counting your chickens before they hatch. I've seen it with audiences and people love it but we'll see how it goes."

But he admitted he was not sure about the film when he was first approached to do it.

He said: "The robot element was not enough for me to do the film, to be honest.

"I heard robot boxing and thought that's not for me but it's basically an underdog sports story. It could be racing, it could be ping pong, it happens to be really cool amazing robots which are incredible to look at but the story is really about the father and son and the people around the story."

The film's director, Shawn Levy, also stepped on to the blue carpet outside the Empire Leicester Square alongside guests including world light welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Levy said he wanted to do a film that had "great action" and a "really big heart" and said this movie might offer a glimpse of the future.

He said: "I don't know that we'll see robot boxing within 10 years but maybe 25, I don't think it's impossible.

"If someone had told you 10 years ago you'd be able to hold something in your hand and see someone across the world and talk to them you would have called that science fiction."

The film, rated 12A, opens in the UK on October 14.