‘Paddington 4’ Is Officially In the Works!!

For over a decade now, the Paddington films have been delighting audiences of all ages in theaters. The first film in 2014 saw Ben Whishaw give voice to the beloved, marmalade-loving bear, as he makes his way from darkest Peru to the streets of London and to a forever home with the Browns, kicking off a heartwarming three-part journey. Across each film, he’s evaded a determined taxidermist, played by Nicole Kidman, been framed for theft by Hugh Grant, and ventured into the jungles of his homeland, all with the support of his loving adoptive family. 2024’s Paddington in Peru brought a fitting and emotional end to the trilogy for now, but much like Michael Bond‘s original British children’s books, there’s always room for more stories to be told.

The demand is certainly still there for more of the bear. Peru earned a respectable $211 million at the box office, pushing the franchise over $800 million globally and once again garnering praise from critics and audience alike. Paddington is also only two years away from celebrating the 70th anniversary of his creation, a testament to the enduring nature of the icon and his penchant for getting himself into trouble. He’s most recently even been adapted to the stage in musical form, running in London’s West End theater through February 2027. It’s no surprise, then, that there’s been talk of a fourth installment and that StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh was able to offer more confirmation at CinemaCon.

During StudioCanal‘s presentation at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, a fourth Paddington movie was officially announced to be in development. However, Marsh wasn’t able to give many details about the new installment at this time. All that could be shared was that “world-renowned comedy writers” were attached to help make this a rousing return to form for the bear. The first two films were helmed and co-written by Paul King, with Simon Farnaby also getting credit for the sequel’s script. For Peru, the torch was passed to Dougal Wilson, with Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont penning the screenplay.

Will the Original ‘Paddington’ Cast Return?

At this time, there’s no indication one way or another about whether Whishaw and the rest of the Brown family will return for Paddington 4. Hugh Bonneville, for his part, has indicated that he likely wouldn’t reprise his role as the patriarch, Henry Brown, saying in a previous interview, “I don’t think so. I really don’t. I’ve loved it, but I’m getting on a bit. It’s a younger man’s job, but you can get other actors in, and it will work just as well, because it’s all about the bear.” As of the third film, Emily Mortimer, Samuel Joslin, Madeleine Harris, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, and Farnaby made up the main recurring stars of the franchise.