Paddington is one the nicest big-screen chaps in recent memory, so we’re understandably excited for the new movie, Paddington in Peru, which arrives in November. Meanwhile, StudioCanal is letting everyone know it’s pretty bullish on the property, as another movie and a new series are confirmed to be in the works now.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, the Brand Licensing Europe 2024 convention (held in London) brought news that the company is doubling down on the IP, as Paddington has gone “from a classic character to a worldwide cultural phenomenon.”
Of course, there’s always the risk of running something good into the ground, and that may very well happen eventually with everyone’s favourite CGI bear. For now, however, it seems like most people are just happy to see more of the Ben Whishaw-voiced lad.
“We are also working on a new TV series and a new movie to come in 2027, ’28,” Françoise Guyonnet, CEO of StudioCanal, kids & family, said during the event. StudioCanal appears to be, however, taking things slowly: “This year has been really focused around content, experiential and digital strategy to give the best exposure we can to Paddington.” From a big CEO point of view, he’s not wrong. While the movies have been a success so far, they’re not exactly Minions-level of huge, so there’s more to be done in order to make the character as big as Universal’s little guys, especially when it comes to enticing younger viewers.
Paddington in Peru’s trailer, which you can check out below, is a delight, yet you can easily tell Paul King’s spark behind the cameras is missing. Still, we’re hoping for a good time with Dougal Wilson’s feature film directorial debut; you might know him from his work on various music videos like ‘Year 3000’ for ‘Busted or Life in Technicolor II’ by Coldplay.
Additionally, a Paddington musical is coming soon. According to Guyonnet: “At the end of next year, big deal, we are launching a musical in the West End with Sonia Freeman, one of the best producers.” So far, we know that Paddington: The Musical (tentative title) will feature music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, with Jessica Swale as writer and Luke Sheppard as director.
