Paddington Bear's last appearance was with the late Queen Elizabeth II, when he joined the British queen for tea and marmalade sandwiches at Buckingham Palace in a clip filmed for a Platinum Jubilee concert.
"Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch," Buckingham Palace said at the time. "There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss. While The Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time."
The connection between the bear and the monarch even remained strong after her death. After the Queen passed away, Royal Parks had to ask mourners to stop leaving marmalade sandwiches as a tribute to the Queen.
Now, nearly two years after Paddington's viral appearance with Queen Elizabeth and six years after the beloved Paddington 2 hit theaters, a Paddington threequel is officially in the works. Here's everything we know about Paddington in Peru:
Ben Winshaw will return as the voice of Paddington the bear.
Here's who's who in the cast:
- Ben Winshaw will again voice Paddington, a Peruvian bear
- Imelda Staunton will also return to voice Aunt Lucy
- Hugh Bonneville will return as Mr. Brown
- Julie Walters will return as Mrs. Bird
- Jim Broadbent will return as Mr. Gruber
- Madeleine Harris will return as Judy Brown
- Samuel Joslin will return as Jonathan Brown
- Olivia Colman joins the cast as the Reverend Mother, "a blithe and sunny guitar-playing nun who runs the Home for Retired Bears"
- Antonio Banderas also joins, as Hunter Cabot, "a dashing and intrepid riverboat captain who offers to help the Brown family on their Peruvian adventure"
Notably, Emily Mortimer will take over the role of Mrs. Brown from Sally Hawkins. "For me, it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can't get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special," Hawkins said in a statement. "She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. However, I am, and will always be in love with Paddington’s world."
Rachel Zegler was set to play Cabot's daughter Gina, but due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, could not join. "I was a part of Paddington 3, but I’m not anymore because of the SAG strike," she told Collider in March 2024. "They were able to continue filming, but I was the only SAG actor, and another talented actress is doing it and I’m very excited to see because it was a wonderful script and I think Paddington fans are going to be very thrilled."
Dougal Wilson will direct.
This is Wilson's feature film debut as director. "As a huge fan of the first two films, I am very excited (if not a little intimidated) to be continuing the story of Paddington. It’s a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honours the love so many people have for this very special bear," he shared.
"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. 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," Paul King, the director of the first two films, said in a statement.
The story will be by Paddington 1 and 2 collaborators Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton, and the screenplay will be written by Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont.
Per Deadline, "the brown bear is keeping plot details for the third installment under his famous red hat for now, but as the title suggests, the movie will see Paddington getting into sticky situations in 'deepest, darkest Peru', his country of birth."
Production began in summer 2023.
The movie was set to begin production on July 24, 2023, and is expected to film in both the UK and Peru. "It’s been a joy and an honour to shoot ‘Paddington in Peru’ with such a wonderful and talented cast and crew," Wilson said. "I feel incredibly lucky to have been blessed with such a lovely group of people, many of whom have returned to the world of this beloved bear. We are also delighted to have welcomed Emily, Olivia, Antonio and Carla to the Paddington family."
The official synopsis reads: "Paddington’s story full circle as he returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru."
The film will premiere in the U.S. in 2025.
Paddington in Peru will premiere on November 8, 2024 in the UK and on January 17, 2025 in the U.S.
We'll update this as soon as we learn more about Paddington In Peru.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
