Paddington 3 is becoming a reality, and filming begins next year.
Paddington Bear is responsible for some of my favourite London movie moments. The beauty of Chalcot Crescent (or ‘Windsor Gardens’), the brilliant scene where he misinterprets ‘dogs must be carried’ on the tube escalators and hunts down a dog, and that gorgeous quote: “In London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in.” It’s just pure, wholesome viewing from start to finish.
So the news that Paddington—and we can only presume, by extension, our beloved London—will be taking to the screen once more is the best thing we’ve heard all year.
Hugh Bonneville, who plays Henry Brown in the films, teased the news earlier this year, with Studiocanal quickly confirming the news soon after. Speaking to Variety, they said: “We can confirm Studiocanal is working very hard on film 3 with the utmost craft and care — as with film 1 and 2.”
Details on plot and casting are pretty thin on the ground (we’re assuming Ben Whishaw will return as Paddington, or there’ll be riots in the streets), but we do know that the series’ original director Paul King will not be directing the third film. However, it is said that he will continue working on the film as executive producer. Filming is confirmed to begin in the second quarter of 2022 (that’s April-June, just FYI), and we’ll keep our fingers crossed a cinematic release follows quickly after.
The previous films have both been global box office successes, and are continuously praised for celebrating community and inclusivity. And, of course, we expect nothing less from the next instalment.
It is not clear who will return for the third film, but we promise to keep you in the loop. For now, I suggest you make yourself a marmalade sandwich and start a Paddington Duathlon. You won’t regret it.