You can never go home again, or so they say, so it only tracks that when Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) and the whole Brown family decide to go visit Paddington’s beloved Aunt Lucy in Peru, things go a bit sideways. I’m not sure how I feel about the wacky Indiana-Jones-style manner in which the sideways happens in this new and slightly more detailed trailer, but given the high bar set by Paddington 2, I’m willing to withhold judgement.
With a new trailer comes a new longer synopsis:
Get ready for the journey of a lifetime as Paddington in Peru brings the world’s most beloved bear back to his roots, his homeland Peru. Following the adventures of Paddington and Paddington 2, Paddington is still living happily with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens. When he receives a letter from the Reverend Mother, the blithe guitar strumming nun who runs the Home for Retired Bears, informing him that Aunt Lucy misses him dearly, he knows he simply must visit her as soon as possible.
With his shiny new British passport in hand, Paddington is joined by the Browns, including the ever-resourceful Mrs. Bird, on an epic journey that none of them will ever forget. Along the way the group meet new friends, including the dashing riverboat captain Hunter and his daughter Gina. They join them on their thrilling escapades through the Amazon rainforest and up to the stunning mountain peaks of Peru. Together they encounter unexpected challenges, and Paddington begins to uncover surprising secrets about his past. Throughout the ups and downs, his unwavering optimism and kindness shine brightly in this brand-new Paddington cinematic adventure that reinforces the importance of family, and the joy of embracing one’s heritage.
Whoever put the phrase “blithe guitar strumming nun” in the summary for this movie deserves an award. Said nun is played by Olivia Colman, clearly really embracing this new phase of her career. Antonio Banderas is also a newcomer to the series, playing the aforementioned dashing owner of a handsome boat. Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin also return; Emily Mortimer takes over the role of Mrs. Brown from Sally Hawkins, who will be missed.
For reasons I can barely begin to comprehend, beloved Paddington 2 director Paul King left the series to tackle Wonka; this third film is directed by Dougal Wilson, in his feature film debut. King, Simon Farnaby, and Mark Burton get credit for the screen story, while Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont wrote the screenplay. (Farnaby and Burton worked on Paddington 2; Lamont and Foster created and wrote the TV series The Adventures of Paddington.) All this stems from the children’s book by Michael Bond.
Paddington 3 is in theaters January 17th, 2025. Bring your best marmalade.
