We finally have some concrete news regarding the third Paddington film! Five years after the acclaimed second movie and plenty of discussion about what everyone’s favourite raincoat-wearing bear will be doing next, what’s been rumoured for a while is now confirmed: director Paul King is stepping aside.
Stepping into his spot in the director’s chair will be Dougal Wilson, who will be helming what’s now officially titled Paddington In Peru. King is currently working on the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka with Timothee Chalamet, and sounded confident in Wilson’s ability to take good care of the franchise:
“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,” King said in a statement.
“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.”
Wilson added: “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.” Wilson is best known for directing beloved Christmas adverts in the UK for John Lewis, and has also helmed music videos for artists such as Coldplay and LCD Soundsystem.
King isn’t entirely stepping away from the franchise though, as he has still come up with the story for this film alongside Simon Farnaby and Mike Burton, with the latter penning the script with Jon Foster and James Lamont.
There are currently no additional casting details for the film. We know that Ben Whishaw will return to voice the titular bear as he returns to his homeland, and it’s expected that Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville and the rest of the actors that make up the Brown family will come back too.
Filming will take place in both London and Peru in 2023, so we can likely expect another film filled with smiles, laughter, and plenty of marmalade to arrive sometime in 2024.
#Peace.Love.PaddingtonInPeru
