Hugh Bonneville has brilliant news for ‘Paddington’ fans!

It’s been confirmed that another Paddington movie is on the way.

The first Paddington film was released in 2014, starring Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Julie Walters (Billy Elliot), Jim Broadbent (Bridget Jones), and Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), with Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) voicing the titular bear.

It was followed with a sequel in 2017, featuring Hugh Grant (Notting Hill) as the villain.

Paddington grossed more than $280 million at the box office, while Paddington 2 brought in $225 million.

Based on the classic Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond, both movies were praised for their warmth and charm – if you’ve not seen the films, they really are so lovely!

 

A third Paddington movie has been rumoured for some time, and last week actor Hugh Bonneville told BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show that there was finally some “forward momentum,” and that the new film was “somewhere on the horizon.”

StudioCanal, who make the series, has now officially announced that Paddington 3 is in “active development.”

They told Variety: “We can confirm StudioCanal is working very hard on film 3 with the utmost craft and care — as with film 1 and 2.”

However, the writer/director of the first two movies won’t be returning to direct the new sequel.

Paul King is busy working on Wonka, a new film about the origin of Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is set for release in March 2023.

Paddington star Hugh Bonneville has been volunteering at a Covid-19 vaccination hub this month.

The 57-year-old actor can be seen as author Roald Dahl in new period drama movie To Olivia very soon, ahead of starring in an adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice.

He’s also hoping to begin filming a sequel to the Downton Abbey movie later this year.

Paddington is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.