Studiocanal has confirmed that Paddington 3 is in the works. Based on the children’s books by Michael Bond, the Paddington series tells the story of a bear lost in London who is adopted by a kindhearted family who take him in. Bond was inspired by the stories of World War II refugees arriving in London. The film series is praised for its wholesome family values but is also critically acclaimed across the board. The films have also been commercially successful, with both installments bringing in over $200 million each. Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise that a third film would be made, but I’m glad to be the bear-er of good news (okay, I’ll stop).
Ben Wishaw, the voice of Paddington, will presumably return for the third installment, as he’s also voicing the titular bear in a spin-off TV series currently airing on Nickelodeon. However, Paul King, who directed the first two feature films, will not return. He was previously slotted to direct Disney’s live action Pinocchio film, but left that to direct the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka. While this prevents him from directing Paddington 3, he will still be involved in the production of the film in some way. In addition to directing the previous two, he co-wrote them as well.
No word yet on release date, since the film’s development has only just been announced. But now we know that in the near future, we’ll be able to once more bear witness to Paddington bear (I couldn’t resist).
