Berlin -  Key members of the cast of the fantasy movie Inkheart attended its premiere Tuesday in Berlin as distributors prepared for worldwide release of the juvenile-fiction story.

The US lead, Brendan Fraser, was there, along with Eliza Hope Bennett, the British actress who plays his daughter in the film.

Director Iain Softley, also British, also took plaudits, but much of the attention at the cinema on the prestigious Potsdamer Platz went to Cornelia Funke, the Los Angeles-based author of the book the movie is based on.

She turns 50 on Wednesday. The choice of Berlin for the premiere was a nod to her German origins.

Funke, who has gained fans among child and teen readers worldwide, is often described as a German equivalent of JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series.

She moved from Hamburg three years ago to the United States with her two children and her late husband, who was fighting a losing battle with cancer.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's top culture aide, Bernd Neumann, praised Funke Tuesday for the "incredible success" of her books. She has written more than 50 and has sold 15 million worldwide.

"Behind it all is not only your gift for creating imaginative stories but also an inimitable, lovable writing style that brings these inventions to life," he said in a birthday message.

Her Inkworld series has hooked big numbers of adults worldwide, along with younger readers who relish the magic worlds of her novels.

In Inkheart, Mo Folchart, played by Fraser, unwittingly conjures literary villains into real life.

To fight evil, he has to travel the world with his daughter Meggie, who develops the same strange power of turning book characters into flesh and blood.

Germany is first up with the Inkheart release on Thursday, followed by Britain on Friday and Italy on January 9. The United States is not to see the New Line Cinema production until January 23.

Funke, who showed up in Berlin with son Ben and daughter Anna, kept close control of the 60-million-dollar movie project and held a co- producer title.

Much of the film was shot at Shepperton Studios near London.

Inkheart was delayed more than eight months by the US screenwriter's strike and marketing hesitations. If it succeeds, there are two Inkworld sequels left to film: Inkspell and Inkdeath. (dpa)