Paddington 4 is in early development from StudioCanal, with Paddington in Peru set to be released in the UK this winter.
Break out the marmalade sandwiches! The upcoming Paddington in Peru won’t be the last we see of the adorable bear, as StudioCanal revealed that they’re already in the early stages of working on Paddington 4. Not only will there be a new sequel, but a new Paddington TV series in the works as well.
“We are also working on a new TV series and a new movie to come in 2027, ’28,” said Françoise Guyonnet, CEO of StudioCanal Kids & Family, noting that 2028 will mark the 70th anniversary of the franchise. “Of course, the big event for the StudioCanal family is the release of Paddington in Peru.” The first two Paddington movies were just some of the most delightful films I’ve ever watched. It remains to be seen if Paddington in Peru will live up to the lofty heights of its predecessors, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Paddington 4.
Paddington in Peru “follows Paddington and the Brown family as they visit Aunt Lucy in Peru. A thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru.” Ben Whishaw returns to voice Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Imelda Staunton rounding out the cast.
Paul King, who directed the first two movies, didn’t return for Paddington in Peru as he made the difficult choice to helm Wonka instead. “It was really difficult, because I’d spent eight years with the bear and I felt such incredible love for him,” King said. “He’s an animated character, and the design and the love that went into every single follicle was labor intensive and done with such heart. So it’s kind of like sending your kid off to school and going, ‘I hope you’ll be okay!’ But I also know it was the right thing to do.“
Paul King added that “because there’s so much Paddington source material, you could make 50 Paddington movies. I’d be a hundred years old and still doing Paddington.” If there was only enough source material to make two or three films, King said that things might have been different, but he was “really pleased” with where they left Paddington after the second movie and that it was “time to let go and give somebody else a shot.“
Paddington in Peru will debut in the U.K. on November 8th, followed by a U.S. release on January 17th.
