Everyone’s favorite polite young bear is returning to theaters for a third film. StudioCanal announced during the Cannes Film Festival thatPaddington 3has set an early 2022 filming date, for some time in the second quarter of the year.
The highly anticipated third installment leads Studiocanal’s slate of films, with a story byPaul King,Simon Farnaby, andMark Burtonand a screenplay by Burton,Jon Foster, andJames Lamont. King, who directed the first twoPaddingtonfilms, is not returning to direct, but will also executive produce the film. The project joins films likeColin Trevorrow’sWar Magicianand theKaley CuocofeatureRole Play, also announced at Cannes.
“Our beloved bear is truly part of the family,” said StudioCanal CEOAnna Marsh.
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The director, cast updates, and shooting location forPaddington 3have yet to be revealed, but it is anticipated thatBen Whishawwill return to voice the young Peruvian bear, after reprising the role inThe Adventures of Paddington, StudioCanal’s animated series produced with Heyday Films and Nickelodeon. The series was recently renewed for a third season by all three studios, who are going all in on thePaddingtonfranchise this year.
The franchise has proved to be lucrative for StudioCanal and Heyday, with its first two films grossing over $280 million and $225 million worldwide, respectively. Praised for their humor and heartwarming messages, both films saw impressive starring roles from actors likeNicole KidmanandHugh Grant, and were even so successful thatPaddington 2maintained a perfect critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes for a time, outranking evenCitizen Kanebefore being knocked out of place by a single negative review. (Perhaps they deserve one of Paddington’s patented Hard Stares for that, but who’s to say.)
While it may be a while before the world’s kindest bear returns to our screens, audiences can fill the void by streamingPaddingtonfree onPeacock, andThe Adventures of Paddingtonon Hulu orNick Jr.
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