It’s been six long years since the delightful Paddington 2, which built upon the foundations of the equally brilliant Paddington and ensured that the little bear from deepest, darkest Peru will have a place in the world’s heart forever. If, for some reason, you’re still skeptical that these films are worth watching, then we can only point to their 97% and 99% scores on the Tomatometer.
Perhaps because these two films set such a high bar, the third entry has been a very long time coming. But now, as per Deadline, it seems that the project is finally moving forward. Paddington 3 — officially titled Paddington in Peru — will begin production in July 24, presumably meaning the film will land sometime in the back half of 2024.
As indicated by the title, the movie will see Paddington returning to his home country, hopefully with the Brown family in tow. Presumably, Michael Gambon and Imelda Staunton’s Uncle Pastuzo and Aunt Lucy will also play an expanded role in these Peruvian proceedings.
The only thing that gives us slight hesitation is that Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King is stepping back, though he’s devised the story. The movie will instead be helmed by music video and commercials director Dougal Wilson, who’s making his feature film debut.
Fortunately, King seems supremely confident with his successor, saying:
“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.”
If this film can hit the heights of the rest of the franchise and garner the same glowing reviews, it’ll become one of the most loved movie trilogies of all time. If one bear can pull off that feat, it’s going to be Paddington.