London, May 3 (Reuters): Thousands of screaming fans greeted British actor Orlando Bloom at the European premiere of his film, crusader epic Kingdom of Heaven, in London?s Leicester Square yesterday.

Lord Of The Rings star Bloom, 28, spent more than 30 minutes talking with fans and signing autographs outside the Empire cinema.

Some have expressed concerns that a film about the Crusades, a term once used by President George W. Bush to describe the war on terror, will fuel the idea of an intractable clash between East and West.

But Bloom, who plays a knighted blacksmith charged with defending Jerusalem, said Muslim leader Saladin was depicted in the film as a man of honour and chivalry.

?I think it?s balanced and I hope that people come out of the movie and have a dialogue about this.?

French actor Eva Green plays the female lead.