American audiences will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on Paddington, as the third installment in the hit film series, Paddington in Peru, moves from its January 2025 release to Valentine’s Day.
Instead of debuting on January 17, the family film will now premiere on February 14, which also coincides with President’s Day weekend. This shift puts the family movie on a double weekend, meaning a large percentage of K-12 students will be out of school for a long break and looking for something to do…or so the thinking goes.
‘Paddington 3’ debuted in the UK earlier this month and set a record opening weekend, collecting £9.65 million ($12.4 million) – the biggest debut for a British film since ‘No Time to Die’ “ 2021. The first two “Paddington” films have grossed over $600 million globally, and the third installment is targeting the $1 billion mark.
Based on the best-selling children’s story series by British author Michael Bond, Paddington in Peru sees Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) receive a letter from Peru informing him that his beloved aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) has inexplicably disappeared from her jungle. Cabin in a retired bears home. The adventure begins with his adopted family, the Brown family, when a mystery engulfs them on an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru.
In addition to Whishaw and Staunton, the returning cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Gosselin. The group is rounded out by new additions such as Olivia Colman, Emily Mortimer, Karla Toss and Antonio Banderas.
In a recent feature about Paddington Bear’s return to the big screen, diverse He explained how “Paddington 3” featured both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the actor who portrayed her in “The Crown.”
“(The royal family) was actually very happy that it happened,” producer Rosie Allison said. “But we don’t like to overdo it, because Paddington is obviously a very humble person.”
Coleman likewise signed without hesitation. “Oh yeah, I mean, it’s Paddington!” She said she agreed to play vocals, guitar, and a nun inspired by “The Sound of Music” who runs the “Retired Bears Home.” “Paddington is the best person in the whole world… Imagine if everyone was like Paddington, wouldn’t that be nice?”
Dougal Wilson directed the film from a screenplay by Mark Burton, John Foster, and James Lamont. Paul King (who directed the first two “Paddington” films) developed the story with Simon Farnaby and Burton.
Studiocanal has fully financed “Paddington in Peru” and is handling distribution in the UK, France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as through partners in China and Japan. Sony Pictures will distribute the film in the United States, Canada and other key international territories including Latin America.