Third Paddington film hits US and Canadian theaters in early 2025

Third Paddington film hits US and Canadian theaters in early 2025
Paddington Bear in “Paddington 2.” Studiocanal

The third Paddington film will be released in the United States and Canada on January 17th, 2025 and in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2024, according to a press release posted Monday by Studiocanal.

“Paddington in Peru” will see the titular bear return to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. While in South America, a “thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru.” That’s according to the brief synopsis provided by Studiocanal.

Actors Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton return to voice Paddington and Paddington’s Aunt Lucy. Also returning are Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Brown), Madeleine Harris (Judy Brown), Samuel Joslin (Jonathan Brown), Julie Walters (Mrs. Bird) and Jim Broadbent (Mr. Gruber).

Emily Mortimer replaces Sally Hawkins in the role of Mrs. Brown. Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman join the cast as new characters.

The press release also mentions that Rachel Zegler, who was previously announced to be in the role of another new character, Gina Cabot, was “unable to carry out the role” due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Replacing Zegler in that role is Carla Tous. A relative newcomer, Tous' most recent credits include roles in the Spanish television series 30 Coins and the Spanish film El Hombre del Saco.

Director Dougal Wilson makes their feature film debut, after having worked previously on music videos and advertisements, according to their IMDB profile.

The Paddington Bear character first appeared in the children’s book “A Bear Called Paddington” in 1958. While Paddington is associated with a London, England setting, his origin story begins in Peru. When he was just a few weeks old, an earthquake occurred and left him an orphan. His Aunt Lucy then raised him in Peru and taught him English, according to the official Paddington website. When his Aunt Lucy went to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima, Peru she arranged for Paddington to be a stowaway on a boat headed for England. There he was found by the Brown family who took him in.

As someone who grew up watching the 1990s cartoon series “The Adventures of Paddington Bear,” I had no idea the character would follow me into adulthood and become such a pop culture phenomenon. The live action films have been a hit at the box office and well received by critics. For a time, the second Paddington film held a rare perfect score on the movie reviews website Rotten Tomatoes. Today, it holds a 99 percent Tomatometer score.

I enjoyed the second film and am looking forward to this one, though I am bummed that Hawkins is not returning in the role of Mrs. Brown.

Alexander S. Corey is a co-founder of Behemoth Comics Film Club. Some of his favorite films include Amélie and Hot Fuzz. You can follow him on Letterboxd: @whatapicture