At the Brand Licensing Europe 2024 conference in London, StudioCanal, the production company of “Paddington Bear,” announced that a fourth “Paddington Bear” film is in the works and is expected to be released in 2027 or 2028. Additionally, a new series based on this IP is also being developed.
The third film, “Paddington Bear in Peru,” is set to be released in the UK on November 8 this year and in North America on January 17 next year. The story follows Paddington and the Brown family as they decide to visit Aunt Lucy in Peru but discover that she is missing. They then venture into the Amazon rainforest and the Peruvian mountains to search for her.
Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Emily Mortimer have joined the cast, while Sally Hawkins, the lead actress of the previous installments, will not return. Ben Whishaw continues to voice Paddington, and Imelda Staunton, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin also reprise their roles.
Veteran advertising director Dougal Wilson is helming the film, marking his feature film debut. The series’ creators Paul King and Simon Farnaby, along with Mark Burton (known for “Shaun the Sheep” and “Early Man”), continue to work on the project. Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont (who worked on “The Adventures of Paddington”) have written the script.
StudioCanal and Heyday Films are producing the film, with King serving as the executive producer. King stated, “After working on the ‘Paddington’ films for ten years, I feel an almost absurd protectiveness towards this little bear. I am delighted that Dougal will be taking over and holding his paw as he embarks on his third big-screen adventure. Dougal’s work is always astonishing, funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and completely original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to ‘look after this bear,’ and I know Dougal will do an excellent job.”
Wilson said, “As a huge fan of the first two films, I am excited (and a little terrified) to continue Paddington’s story. It is a huge responsibility, but all my efforts will be focused on making the third film a tribute to the love so many people have for this very special bear.”
Anna Marsh, the CEO of StudioCanal, and Ron Halpern, the global executive vice president of production, said, “We have long admired Dougal’s work, his astonishing visual creativity, his storytelling, heart, emotion, and humor. We are delighted that Dougal will be directing Paddington’s third film, and we look forward to bringing Paddington back to Peru for his next big-screen adventure.”
Producer David Heyman said, “After an extensive search, we are thrilled that the talented Dougal Wilson will be directing Paddington’s third film. As a legendary figure highly praised in the advertising world, we have long admired Dougal’s superb work and his talent as a director demonstrated through his heart, humor, surprises, and vivid imagination. For Paddington’s latest adventure with the Brown family, he is a highly creative kindred spirit, and we are delighted to work with him.”
Although Wilson has not directed a Hollywood film yet, he has achieved great success in the commercial and music video fields. He has collaborated with brands such as Apple, AT&T, and IKEA and has directed the famous Christmas advertisement for the British department store John Lewis. His music video works cover artists like LCD Soundsystem and Coldplay. Wilson has received a Directors Guild Award nomination and a Grammy nomination. His Channel 4 Paralympic advertisement “We’re the Superhumans” won a D&AD Design Award and a Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity award.
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