Paddington 3 Is Happening, Production Beginning In July
Paddington 3 will begin production on July 24, extending the already beloved story of the little bear.
There has been a lot of darkness in the world lately, and what we need now is more light. But don’t worry, everyone’s favorite British, marmalade sandwich-loving bear is coming back to brighten everyone’s day. According to Deadline, Paddington 3, officially titled Paddington in Peru, will start production on July 24.
The film’s new director, Dougal Wilson, is not taking his duty of upholding the franchise lightly: “It’s a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honors the love so many people have for this very special bear.”
It has been six years since we last saw Paddington 2 in theaters, and audiences have been missing him ever since. This sequel is hailed as a brilliant, heartwarming movie, perhaps even more so than the first Paddington, and expectations for Paddington 3 are very high.
Not much has been disclosed yet about the plot of Paddington 3, but we do know that our beloved bear will be heading to the “deepest, darkest Peru,” where he was born. It is highly likely that Ben Whishaw will return to do the voice of Paddington (can you have Paddington without that signature, gentle voice?), and it is expected that the film will see a mix of returning cast members like Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Sally Hawkins, Imelda Staunton, and Michael Gambon, as well as new cast members.
The Paddington sequel starred Hugh Grant in a big, bad guy role, and already several other Hollywood stars are expressing interest in joining the cast. Last week, Don’t Worry Darling’s Florence Pugh told BBC that she would be highly interested in joining the cast of Paddington 3 (or any Paddington movie). And recently, StudioCanal, Paddington’s producer, was having Paddington-related fun with her Darling co-star Harry Styles on Twitter, so perhaps those two will be teaming up again, this time for much lighter fare!
The previous Paddington films earned a combined $500+ million at the box office and were both nominated for a prestigious BAFTA Award. Paddington 3 has a lot to live up to, but the main takeaway one gets from reading the news updates about it going into production this year is that everyone is very dedicated to making a story that is equally as touching, heartwarming, and original as the other two films.
Director Dougal Wilson is a new addition to the Paddington franchise, but previous director Paul King is happy to pass the baton to someone who he knows will keep Paddington’s spirit at heart for Paddington 3. “After ten years of working on the Paddington movies, I feel absurdly protective of the little bear, and I’m delighted that Dougal will be there to hold his paw as he embarks on his third big screen adventure,” King said. “Dougal’s work is never less than astounding: funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and totally original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to ‘Please Look After This Bear.’ I know Dougal will do so admirably.”
StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh and EVP of Global Production Ron Halpern also had nothing but good things to say about this new director, stating that they have been admirers of his work for a long time and that they are looking forward to having his storytelling ability, his emotion, his humor, and his heart on their team as they get to work on Paddington 3.
