Paddington in Peru wraps UK, Peru, Colombia shoot

A three-month shoot has just wrapped on Paddington in Peru – the third big-screen outing for the little bear. 

StudioCanal and Heyday Films announced a UK release date of 8 November 2024, and confirmed that the role originally due to have been played by Rachel Zegler is now taken by Carla Tous, as Zegler had to withdraw due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Dougal Wilson was in the director’s chair for the new feature, that filmed in the UK, Peru and Colombia. It  stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin and Jim Broadbent with both Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton returning as the respective voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.

Wilson said: “It’s been a joy and an honour to shoot Paddington in Peru with such a wonderful and talented cast and crew. I feel incredibly lucky to have been blessed with such a lovely group of people, many of whom have returned to the world of this beloved bear. We are also delighted to have welcomed Emily, Olivia, Antonio and Carla to the Paddington family.”

In the film, that began shooting on 24 July, Paddington returns to his homeland of Peru to visit Aunt Lucy, now residing in the Home for Retired Bears. Adventures ensue as a mystery plunges Paddington, Aunt Lucy and the Brown family into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and on to the mountains of Peru.

The story is by Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton with a screenplay by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont. Heyday Films produces with David Heyman and Rosie Alison as producers and with Rob Silva as co-producer. Director of the first two films, Paul King serves as executive producer alongside Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern and Dan MacRae from StudioCanal, Tim Wellspring and Jeffrey Clifford and Naoya Kinoshita.