Movie buffs got their first look at the Hollywood film based on a bizarre advert placed by a Brighton prankster.

Kevin Smith, director of the popular films Clerks and Dogma, premiered the disturbing trailer for horror-comedy Tusk at Comic-Con in San Diego on Friday.

Mr Smith’s inspiration for the film came from Brighton poet and jokester Chris Parkinson.

Mr Parkinson’s advert on the website Gumtree invited potential roommates to share a Queens Park flat - as long as they dressed and behaved like a walrus for two hours every day. The ad went viral and was picked up by the acclaimed director, who invited podcast listeners to tweet #WalrusYes if they agreed he should turn it into a motion picture.

Mr Parkinson, 33, said: “I think the trailer is fantastic, I have been waiting for ages to see it and I am glad it is out. Pretty much everyone I have spoken to said it was certainly a more sinister take on my advert. I think it is funny, but a lot of people think it is quite horrific. It is definitely the best walrus movie of the last hundred years.”

He added he still hopes for the film to see its UK premiere in Brighton or for it to at least have a “very special screening” here. Mr Parkinson is an associate producer on the film and was flown to the set last November.

The film sees Justin Long, star of Accepted and Die Hard 4.0, play a podcaster who is kidnapped by a deranged seafarer who wants to turn him into a walrus. The $2.9 million movie also stars Johnny Depp, of Pirates of the Caribbean and Edward Scissorhands fame, and Michael Parks, of Argo and Kill Bill.

At the unveiling of the trailer, Mr Smith said: “Six months after I got the inspiration on that podcast I was sitting on a set shouting ‘action’ and Justin Long was dressed up as a walrus. I proudly share with you a trailer for what I feel is like the best movie I ever made.”