Everyone’s favorite bear is coming back. In an interview with the BBC, Ben Whishaw confirmed that Paddington 3, the third installment in the hit children's series, will begin production before the end of 2022. This falls in line with reports from July of last year, which anticipated a mid-year timeframe for filming.
Paddington 3 is set to continue the story of a very polite bear named Paddington, who snuck his way into the hearts of children and parents alike. Voiced by Whishaw, the franchise uses a CGI Paddington and sets him against a live action backdrop with human actors. Based on Michael Bond's famous children's stories, the films follow the accomplished young bear as he moves from “Darkest Peru” to London, and begins living with the Browns. With his love of marmalade, natural clumsiness, and overall lovely personality, Paddington is able to overcome any obstacle he or his family may face.
The long-awaited and highly anticipated sequel faces a bit of time jump, with the last installment having premiered in 2017. As a result, the production has lost some of its creative team, such as director Paul King, who stepped away from the franchise due to commitments with Wonka, a prequel to another children’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, King will remain as an executive producer on the project. No director has been announced as his replacement.
While there may be a time jump between the films, Paddington has still been hard at work. Whishaw reprises his role in the animated series The Adventures of Paddington, which StudioCanal produced with Heyday Film and Nickelodeon, who currently air the show on their network. In his interview, Whishaw addressed the conundrum of being a beloved animated bear, stating:
"It's very disappointing. Occasionally a parent will point out me to a child and I can see the bafflement on their faces, because how can I possibly be Paddington? It doesn't make any sense to them. And to try to explain that I'm the voice of Paddington is even more confusing for their minds. Bless them."
Beside Whishaw’s return, no other casting details are available at this time. Paddington’s first film broke the box office grossing over $280 million worldwide, igniting nostalgia and praise for the franchise while also maintaining the heartwarming messages at its core. It’s first sequel Paddington 2 saw a similar turnout earning $225 million during its box office run. Fans waiting for the new film to begin production and wish to revisit the beloved bear can stream the original Paddington on Netflix, Paddington 2 on HBO Max and the animated series on Hulu or Nick Jr.