Phew. It was all looking a bit quiet for a while there on the Paddington front – given that both Paddington and Paddington 2 are widely acclaimed films (the latter being a former Rotten Tomatoes all-time #1 best-reviewed movie, and a favourite of Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent), it’s taken a while for the threequel to emerge. Last summer, we learned that the next Paddington film would be titled Paddington In Peru, and take the beloved bear back to his original jungle home – but beyond there, very little news has emerged. Until now.
Worry not, everyone – Paddington In Peru is still happening, and it’s happening soon. As reported by Deadline, it’s due to enter production this summer, with cameras rolling from July. And, as we’ve known for a while now, it’s going to be a filmmaker handover, with Paul King otherwise caught up in the chocolate factory with Wonka. Instead, In Peru will mark the directorial feature debut of Dougal Wilson (no pressure!), but with King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton on story duties. Burton co-wrote the screenplay wth Jon Foster and James Lamont.
Of course, the move to Peru means we could be in for a different flavor of Paddington movie in front of the camera too – will the Brown family and the residents of Windsor Gardens still feature? And which new additions will come into play as Paddington heads on his global journey? We’ll have to wait and see as the shoot comes closer – but for now, we at least know Paddington himself is excited. “I must write to Aunt Lucy to tell her the good news,” he wrote in response to the latest reports.
Most importantly: is Knuckles McGinty doing the catering, and does he have enough oranges to make ridiculous quantities of marmalade?