At last, Paddington 3 is about to begin production—and much is changing for the beloved bear this time around. Paddington in Peru has a new director (Dougal Wilson, taking over from Paul King) and—gasp!—a new Mrs. Brown. Emily Mortimer (Hugo) steps into the role previously played by Sally Hawkins, while Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Rachel Zegler are in talks to come along for this next adventure as well.
Buy the Book
The Saint of Bright Doors
Mortimer has Hawkins’ blessing; according to Variety, Hawkins said, “For me it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special. She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own.”
In Paddington 3, the cheerful bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) heads back to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who has settled in at the Home for Retired Bears. Though Variety says the four new actors are “in talks” for the film, it also gets quite specific about the roles they’re expected to play: Colman (Secret Invasion) will play “the reverend mother, a blithe and sunny guitar-playing nun who runs the home.” Banderas (Puss in Boots) is “a dashing and intrepid riverboat captain” who helps Paddington and the Browns navigate Peru; Zegler (West Side Story) plays his daughter.
The movie’s returning cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin. While King is no longer directing, he is responsible for the story, along with returning Paddington writers Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton. The script is by Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont. Paddington was, of course, originally created by children’s book author Michael Bond.
Filming is expected to begin next month in the UK, Peru, and Colombia. No release date has been set.
