American moviegoers will have to exercise a bit of patience to indulge in their Paddington fix, as "Paddington in Peru," the highly anticipated third installment of the beloved film series, has shifted its release date from January 2025 to Valentine's Day. Instead of premiering on January 17th, this heartwarming family film will now take the spotlight on February 14th, coinciding with the President's Day weekend. This strategic move places the film amidst a double holiday weekend, where a significant portion of K-12 students will be on an extended school break, eager to find entertainment... such is the hopeful thinking.
Earlier this month, "Paddington 3" made its debut in the U.K., setting a record-breaking opening weekend with a whopping £9.65 million ($12.4 million) – marking the biggest debut for a British film since "No Time to Die" in 2021. The first two Paddington adventures have amassed over $600 million globally, with the third aiming to propel the franchise towards the $1 billion milestone.
Based on the cherished children's book series penned by British author Michael Bond, "Paddington in Peru" finds Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) receiving a letter from Peru, informing him that his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) has mysteriously vanished from her jungle cabin at the Home for Retired Bears. With his adoptive family, the Browns, in tow, an adventure unfolds as they embark on an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the towering peaks of Peru, driven by an intriguing mystery.
Returning to reprise their roles alongside Whishaw and Staunton are Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin. New faces joining the ensemble include Olivia Colman, Emily Mortimer, Carla Tous, and Antonio Banderas.
In a recent feature on Paddington Bear's return to cinematic glory, Variety revealed how "Paddington 3" came to feature both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the actor who portrayed her in "The Crown." Producer Rosie Alison shared, "[The royal family] were actually delighted for it to happen. However, we prefer to keep it low-key since Paddington is inherently a very humble character." Colman eagerly signed on without a second thought, stating, "Oh, absolutely! It's Paddington!" when asked about portraying a singing, guitar-playing nun inspired by "The Sound of Music" who runs the "home for retired bears." "Paddington is simply the best character in the entire world... Imagine if everyone was like Paddington; wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Dougal Wilson directed the film from a screenplay by Mark Burton and Jon Foster & James Lamont, with Paul King (who helmed the first two Paddington films) developing the story alongside Simon Farnaby and Burton. Studiocanal fully funded "Paddington in Peru" and is handling distribution in the U.K., France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as through partners in China and Japan. Sony Pictures will take charge of distributing the film in the U.S., Canada, and other key international territories, including Latin America.
