You'd be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't get at least some joy out of the Paddington movies, and the news that a third instalment is on the way was met with (almost) universal approval
StudioCanal and Columbia Pictures have now debuted the first trailer for the next movie in the much-loved franchise, which will follow the always polite and gregarious bear as he travels back to his home in Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy with the Brown family along for the ride.
The trailer for Paddington in Peru was unveiled at a special event in London on Wednesday morning (yes, marmalade sandwiches were served).
“The first film gave us a bit of information about where Paddington came from and how he found his home in London, and then in the second story he almost loses that home but in doing so he consolidates his community in London and we also find out a little bit more about Paddington’s origins and how he was rescued,” said director Dougal Wilson at the trailer launch. “So there’s a lot of missing information about what happens before that, and we thought for the third film it would be very appropriate for him to return to Peru, but this time taking his London friends and community with him and have an adventure there and fill in some of the missing pieces.”
We got word that Rachel Zegler (West Ride Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) had joined the cast last year as a character named Gina Cabot, but a rumor later claimed that the actress parted ways with the threequel when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes got underway.
We're not certain if this role has been recast, but Zegler isn't mentioned in the official cast list, which consists of Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Carla Tous and Jim Broadbent, with Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton returning as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.
Mortimer takes over from Sally Hawkins, who played Mrs. Brown in the previous movies.
“For me it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special," Hawkins said in a statement back when the new cast members were announced. "She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. However, I am, and will always be in love with Paddington’s world. I already greatly miss my on and off-screen family — the experience of making the first two films has truly been some of the best and most creative times I have had in the world of film. They both gave me so much joy. I will forever hold them so very close to my heart indeed."
Check out the trailer below along with a new poster, and let us know what you think in the comments section.
“Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.”
Paddington in Peru is set to release on Jan. 17, 2025, in the U.S., about two months after it debuts in the U.K. on Nov. 8.