Paddington Sequel in the Works

We share the latest details about a potential followup.

Story by Matt Cummings

When the Weinstein Company decided to delay the US release of Paddington from December 2014 to January 2015, someone must have been thinking the same thing we were in our December Movie Preview: too many releases would crowd out potential dollars for Paddington. Luckily, the decision seemed to pay off, as the Paul King movie made $57m domestically and over $150m worldwide. We too at SJF loved this movie, making it one of the highest-ranking of the new year.

With markets like Japan and China having yet to experience the polite bear from Darkest Peru, the movie's primary backer Studio Canal has decided there's enough interest to move ahead with a sequel. According to Variety, the company has reached out to Producer David Heyman with the intention of pursuing a follow-up. Here's a quote from Studio Canal's Chairman-CEO Oliver Courson:

“We have to be selective, work with strong brands, top talent, take the time we need. [But] obviously, the result on Paddington is a strong incentive to us and the partners on the movie to work on a sequel, and a strong incentive for Studiocanal to continue in this area.”

Considering all the problems Paddington endured prior to its release - including the departure of Colin Firth as the voice of Paddington - it's a clear sign that audiences loved the movie regardless. But what makes this announcement all the more interesting is that Studio Canal - known mostly for its adult releases like The Imitation Game and A Most Violent Year are apparently getting into the family movie business. They have another family film about to release called Shaun the Sheep, which will open in the UK this Friday. Although the name might be new to US audiences, count on the film getting released here if it does as well overseas as Paddington has done.

There's no word if Actors Sally Hawkins or Hugh Bonneville will return as the Browns, who take in the accident-prone bear after finding him at a train station, nor do we know if Actor Ben Whishaw will reprise his role as the beloved bear.

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