Everyone’s favorite bucket-hatted bear will officially be returning for his third feature outing, with production on Paddington 3 confirmed by Studiocanal, with “the utmost craft and care” being provided for the bundle of digitally-rendered sweetness.
A third Paddington film has been on the horizon for some time now, though the official green light is a good sign. Paul King, director of the first two films, will likely not return as the lead on this new Paddington, though is reportedly still heavily involved. King is currently occupied with his Willy Wonka prequel. Ben Whishaw, the voice of Paddington, will presumably return to the recording booth.
Paddington is of course the creation of author Michael Bond, the character first appearing in his 1958 children’s book A Bear Called Paddington, which would launch readers into a world more than a half-century old at this point and still going strong, reaching a fresh audience with the previous two feature film adaptations, released in 2014 and ’17.
Who will stand in the way of Paddington’s overbearing good will and whimsy remains to be seen, as no plot details have been released. With production likely just ramping up, expect a bit further draught on the Paddington 3 drip. But, it can be confidently hoped, the wait will be worth it.
Source: Variety
