Paddington | |
---|---|
Created by | Michael Bond |
Original work | Paddington Bear |
Owner | The Paddington Company (StudioCanal) |
Years | 2014–present |
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
|
Short film(s) | 🥪 👜 Ma’amalade sandwich Your Majesty? (2022) |
Animated series | The Adventures of Paddington (2019—present) |
Official website |
Paddington is a media franchise based on the character Paddington Bear, created by British author Michael Bond. The franchise began with the 2014 film of the same name. A sequel was released in 2017 and a third film went into production in 2023. The films have also spawned a TV series, and a short film. All films and TV series feature Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington.
This is the first and only film to be distributed by The Weinstein Company in the US, as the rights to the film series originally were sold to Warner Bros. Pictures, and then to Columbia Pictures following the Weinstein scandal in October 2017. [1]
In April 2015, David Heyman confirmed that he would produce the second film in the franchise. [2] It was also announced that Paul King would direct and co-write with Simon Farnaby. [3] By October 2016, the cast of Paddington – Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton – were confirmed to be returning for the sequel, joined by new cast members Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson. Principal photography began in the same month. [4] Framestore provided the visual effects for the film. [5] Filming in Little Venice took place for three days. [6] Filming also took place at Shepton Mallet Prison. [7] [8]
In June 2016, StudioCanal CEO Didier Lupfer stated that the studio was committed to making a third Paddington film. [9] In November 2017, David Heyman told Digital Spy that though the script for a third Paddington film had not developed, discussions about locations, ideas and scenes had already begun. In November 2018, Heyman noted that a third film was still likely to happen, but that Paul King would not be back to direct, though he would still be involved in a prominent creative capacity. [10] The films' previous director Paul King will not be directing the film as he is helming the film Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet. King is set to executive produce the film and has written a story alongside Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton with a screenplay by Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont. [11] [12]
On June 13, 2022, it was announced that the title of the film will be Paddington in Peru and will be directed by Dougal Wilson, with principal photography now set to begin in 2023, with some of the cast returning. [13] In February 2023 Whishaw stated that he had yet to read a script and was unsure whether development was continuing. [14]
In April 2023, it was confirmed Paddington in Peru (aka Paddington 3) would start filming on 24 July, [15] which it did, [16] despite reports that it was suspended due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [17] Olivia Colman will appear in the film along with Rachel Zegler. However, since the SAG-AFTRA strikes are affecting her as a Hollywood Actress in the film, it is unknown whether she will make her appearance or not. At the same time, Sally Hawkins quit her role as Mary Brown. [18] [19]
In October 2017, it was announced that StudioCanal was producing an animated series based on the films, set to launch in either late 2018 or early 2019. It was announced in February 2019, that the series will launch worldwide in 2020 on Nickelodeon, with Whishaw reprising his voice of Paddington. [20] [21]
On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the series will premiere on 20 January 2020 after a sneak preview which aired on 20 December 2019. [22]
For the "Platinum Party at the Palace" music concert that would open the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the Queen acted in a short film Directed By Mark Burton to open the concert in which the Queen hosts Paddington Bear (with Whishaw reprising his role) for tea in honour of the Jubilee. [23] The Queen is seen patiently tolerating a tea-slurping Paddington who, upon realising his mistake, attempts to pour tea for her. However, he stomps over a pastry on the table and ends up covering a footman (played by Simon Farnaby) in cream. [24] As the bear offers the Queen a marmalade sandwich, and tells her that he always keeps one for emergencies, the Queen confides "So do I" and, prising open her handbag, tells him: "I keep mine in here". [25] Later, the bear congratulates the Queen on her reign, exclaiming: "Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you for everything". The sequence ends with both the Queen and Paddington using a spoon to tap out the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You" on teacup. [26]
The Queen spent around half a day filming the sketch at Windsor Castle, and had since kept it a secret from some of her family members. A Buckingham Palace spokesman stated: "While the Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time. [...] Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight's sketch." [25]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the Paddington franchise.
Characters | Films | Television series | Short film | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paddington | Paddington 2 | Paddington in Peru | The Adventures of Paddington | Platinum Party at the Palace | ||
2014 | 2017 | 2024 | 2019—Present | 2022 | ||
Paddington Brown | Ben Whishaw V | |||||
Henry Brown | Hugh Bonneville | Darren Boyd V | ||||
Mary Brown | Sally Hawkins | Emily Mortimer | Morwenna Banks V | |||
Jonathan "J-Dog" Brown | Samuel Joslin | Bobby Beynon V | ||||
Judy Brown | Madeleine Harris | Sabrina Newton-Fisher V | ||||
Mrs. Bird | Julie Walters | Phyllis Logan V | ||||
Samuel Gruber | Jim Broadbent | David Schofield V | ||||
Aunt Lucy | Imelda Staunton V | |||||
Mr. Curry | Peter Capaldi | Reece Shearsmith V | ||||
Uncle Pastuzo | Michael Gambon V | |||||
Barry | Simon Farnaby | |||||
The first film of the series was announced in September 2007, with David Heyman producing and Hamish McColl writing the screenplay. [27] When filming began, Heyman announced the casting of Colin Firth as the voice of Paddington. Paddington is the most expensive film produced by the French production company StudioCanal. [28] [29] [30]
In June 2014, after principal photography had wrapped, Firth voluntarily dropped out of the film, after the studio decided his voice was not suitable for Paddington. [31] The role was recast the following month, with Ben Whishaw signing on to voice the title role. Paddington was created using a combination of computer-generated imagery (by the British company Framestore) [32] and animatronics.
The creator of the Paddington character, Michael Bond, also appeared in a cameo in the first film, playing the role of the Kindly Gentleman. [33]
When the two films were dubbed into Ukrainian, Paddington was voiced by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [34]
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Producer | Writers | Composer | Editor(s) | Cinematographer | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screenplay by | Story by | |||||||
Paddington | 16 January 2015 | Paul King | David Heyman | Paul King | Paul King and Hamish McColl | Nick Urata | Mark Everson | Erik Wilson |
Paddington 2 | 12 January 2018 | Paul King and Simon Farnaby | Dario Marianelli | Mark Everson and Jonathan Amos | ||||
Paddington in Peru | 17 January 2025 | Dougal Wilson | Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont | Paul King, Simon Farnaby, and Mark Burton |
Film | US release date | Box office gross | Budget | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | |||
Paddington [35] | 16 January 2015 | $76,271,832 | $191,775,976 | $268,047,808 | $55 million |
Paddington 2 [36] | 12 January 2018 | $40,442,052 | $186,426,520 | $226,868,572 | $42 million[ failed verification ] |
Film | Critical | Public | |
---|---|---|---|
Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | |
Paddington | 97% (164 reviews) [37] | 77 (38 critics) [38] | A [39] |
Paddington 2 | 99% (250 reviews) [40] | 88 (38 critics) [41] | A [39] |
Film | Category | Result |
---|---|---|
Paddington [42] | Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film | Nominated |
Best Adapted Screenplay | ||
Paddington 2 [43] | Best British Film | |
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Grant) | ||
Best Adapted Screenplay |
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Thomas Michael Bond was an English author. He is best known for a series of fictional stories for children, featuring the character of Paddington Bear. More than 35 million Paddington books have been sold around the world, and the characters have also appeared in a popular film series and on television. His first book was published in 1958 and his last in 2017, a span of 59 years.
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Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book A Bear Called Paddington and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond, and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, David McKee, R. W. Alley and other artists.
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Paddington is a 2014 live-action animated comedy film written and directed by Paul King. It was developed from a story by King and Hamish McColl, which was based on the stories of the character Paddington Bear created by Michael Bond. Produced by David Heyman, Paddington stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the title character, with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Nicole Kidman in live-action roles. The film tells the story of Paddington, an anthropomorphic bear who migrates from the jungles of "Darkest Peru" to the streets of London, where he is adopted by the Brown family. Kidman plays a taxidermist who attempts to add him to her collection.
Paddington 2 is a 2017 live-action animated comedy film directed by Paul King and written by King and Simon Farnaby. Based on the stories of Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond, it is the sequel to Paddington (2014), and is produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal UK. The film, a British-French-Luxembourgish co-production, stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Hugh Grant in live-action roles. In the film, after Paddington is framed and imprisoned for a burglary that he did not commit, he and his family have to find the real culprit and prove his innocence.
The Adventures of Paddington is an animated television series developed for television by Jon Foster and James Lamont. The series is co-produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal, with the participation of Nickelodeon, M6 and Piwi+. The animation for the series is produced by Blue-Zoo Animation Studio and Superprod Studio. The series is based on the Paddington Bear franchise. The series airs on Nickelodeon internationally, except in France where the series airs on Gulli and later on M6 and Piwi+.
Paddington in Peru is an upcoming live-action animated adventure comedy film directed by Dougal Wilson, written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamout, with a story by Paul King, Simon Farnaby, and Burton. Based on the stories of Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond, it is intended to be the third installment in the Paddington film series, and a sequel to Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017). The film stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas and Carla Tous in supporting roles.
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The Platinum Party at the Palace was a British music concert, held outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall in London on 4 June 2022, in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The concert began at 20:00 (BST). Comedian Lee Mack served as host for the event while the Queen appeared with Paddington Bear in a pre-recorded comedy segment, which showed her offering tea to Paddington, pulling a marmalade sandwich from her handbag and tapping her tea cup to the beat of "We Will Rock You". Prince William spoke about the state of the natural world and pointed out his family's involvement with tackling environmental issues, while the Prince of Wales gave the closing speech and paid tribute to his mother's "lifetime of selfless service". Pre-taped messages of tribute from Sir Paul McCartney and former US First Lady Michelle Obama were also played during the event.