Paddington in Peru
The Film
Paddington in Peru is a 2024 live-action animated adventure comedy film directed by Dougal Wilson, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont, from a story by Paul King, Simon Farnaby, and Burton.
It is the third installment in the Paddington film series. The films are based on the Paddington stories by Michael Bond. The film stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Carla Tous, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington.
Paddington in Peru entered development in February 2021, and the title 'Paddington in Peru' was announced in June 2022. Principal photography took place between July and October 2023, in the United Kingdom, Colombia and Peru.
Production
Development
In June 2016, the then StudioCanal CEO Didier Lupfer stated that the studio was committed to making a third Paddington film. In November 2017, David Heyman stated that, though the script for a third film had not been developed, discussions about locations, ideas and scenes had already begun. In November 2018, Heyman noted that a third film was likely to be created, but that Paul King would not be back to direct, though he would still be involved in a prominent creative capacity. In February 2021, 'Paddington 3' officially began development.
In July 2021, StudioCanal announced that' Paddington 3' would begin shooting in the first quarter of 2022.
The story was influenced by the Werner Herzog films Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. Such films showcased Peru's incredible variety of landscapes, geology, friendly people and its mysterious Inca mythology, with a Peruvian legend underlying the whole plot and the characters donning traditional-looking clothes in the rural Andes, despite counting with modern mopeds and mobile phones. In June 2022, the film's title Paddington in Peru and Dougal Wilson as director were announced, with principal photography now set to begin in 2023.
It is the feature film directorial debut of Wilson, who previously directed commercials and music videos. In February 2023, Paddington voice actor Ben Whishaw stated that he had yet to read a script and was unsure whether development was continuing. By April, the film was confirmed to still be in development.
Casting and Filming
In June, it was announced that Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin and Imelda Staunton were set to reprise their roles from the previous films, with Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Rachel Zegler and Emily Mortimer added to the cast. Mortimer was replacing Sally Hawkins who played Mrs. Brown in the first two films.
Filming commenced in the United Kingdom on 24 July as planned, despite reports that it was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film was also shot in Colombia and Peru. Filming began without Zegler as she had left for the United States to participate in picketing during the strike; Carla Tous later took over the role of Gina Cabot, as Zegler was unable to commit due to the strike. Filming was completed in October 2023.
Queen Elizabeth II briefly appears in the film in a framed photograph with Paddington, taken from the short film featuring the two produced for the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Michael Bond also appears briefly on a stamp in a letter Paddington receives at the start of the film.
Hugh Grant reprised his Paddington 2 role of Phoenix Buchanan in a post-credits scene due to Wilson, while acknowledging he couldn't be in the film's story due to the setting. It was felt that it was a 'Paddington thing' to do for the title character to forgive Buchanan. Grant loved the idea and helped them write the scene.
Post-production
Visual effects for the film were provided by Framestore. The music was composed by Dario Marianelli, who previously composed the score for the second film.
Cast
Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown
Emily Mortimer as Mary Brown
Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown
Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown
Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird
Jim Broadbent as Samuel Gruber
Olivia Colman as Clarissa Cabot / The Reverend Mother
Antonio Banderas as Hunter Cabot
Carla Tous as Gina Cabot
Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington Brown
Imelda Staunton as the voice of Aunt Lucy
Hayley Atwell as Madison
Aloreia Spencer as Madison's assistant
Joel Fry as Joe the Postman
Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Jafri
Robbie Gee as Mr Barnes
Ben Miller as Colonel Lancaster
Jessica Hynes as Miss Kitts
Simon Farnaby as Barry the Flight Attendant
Ella Bruccoleri as Rosita the Nun
Additionally, Hugh Grant reprises his role from the second film as Phoenix Buchanan in an uncredited cameo appearance.