Everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving British bear, Paddington, is back in the first trailer for “Paddington in Peru.”
The third installment in the series — which lands some seven years after “Paddington 2” — is set to release on Jan. 17, 2025, in the U.S. by Sony under its Columbia Pictures label, about two months after it releases in the United Kingdom on Nov. 8, 2024, with StudioCanal. The logline reads, “Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.”
The trailer, unveiled at a special event in London on Wednesday morning (where marmalade sandwiches were served), sees Paddington — voiced by Ben Whishaw — head back to the South American country of his birth alongside his adoptive London family, where they meet several new characters, including Olivia Colman‘s guitar-wielding nun (who leads the retired bears home) and Antonio Banderas’ swashbuckling boat captain. Hugh Bonneville (who introduced the trailer via a video from the set of “Downton Abbey 3”) returns as Mr. Brown, while Mrs. Brown is this time played by Emily Mortimer, Sally Hawkins having decided to leave the franchise after two films. Julie Walters steps back into the shoes of Mrs. Bird and Imelda Staunton again voices Aunt Lucy.
“The first film gave us a bit of information about where Paddington came from and how he found his home in London, and in then the second story he almost loses that home but in doing he consolidates his community in London and we also find out a little bit more about Paddington’s origins and how he was rescued,” said director Dougal Wilson, speaking at the trailer launch. “So there’s a lot of missing information about what happens before that and we thought for the third film it would be very appropriate for him to return to Peru, but this time taking his London friends and community with him and have an adventure there and, in doing so, fill in some of the missing pieces.”
David Heyman and Rosie Alison produced “Paddington in Peru,” while Paul King, Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Dan MacRae, Tim Wellspring, Jeffrey Clifford and Naoya Kinoshita, all served as executive producers.
The first two films of the trilogy, which were both directed by Paul King (who later went on to direct “Wonka”), have earned more than $500 million at the global box office.
Watch the trailer below.