Sony Pictures Acquires North American Rights To 'Paddington 3' During Cannes

Paddington Bear is coming back for his next big-screen adventure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures acquired the North American distribution rights to the upcoming "Paddington3," also titled "Paddington in Peru," during the Cannes Film Festival.

The sequel featuring the friendly and beloved talking bear is currently in the works from Heyday and StudioCanal.

Commercial and music video director Dougal Wilson will make his feature directorial debut for the threequel. Paul King directed the first two features.

Under the distribution detail, producer StudioCanal will release the film in the U.K., France, Germany, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. Sony Pictures holds the distribution rights for the rest of the world, including North America, but excluding Russia, China, and Japan.

In the first two movies, the titular red hat and duffle coat-wearing Paddington was voiced by actor Ben Whishaw ("No Time To Die," "In the Heart of the Sea"). The Brown family adopted the young bear and goes on many adventures. In the highly beloved "Paddington 2," the poor bear is imprisoned after being framed for a crime he didn't commit. The films also star Hugh Bonneville ("Downton Abbey") and Sally Hawkins ("The Shape of Water") as Henry and Mary Brown. If the title is accurate, Paddington might be visiting his homeland of Darkest, Peru.

This acquisition appears to be a big win for Sony as the previous two "Paddington" films have been beloved box office hits. The first film, released in 2014, grossed $76 million domestically and over $282 million worldwide. Its 2018 sequel grossed more than $227 million worldwide. Warner Bros. Pictures released the previous two films. Both films were also hits with critics, with the first film scoring 99% and its sequel scoring 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

THR also reports that StudioCanal is backing the movie, so it would appear that Sony's financial risk on the movie would be minimal. Compared to most studio tentpoles and blockbusters, the "Paddington" films come in at a fraction of the cost. The first film had a $50-55 million budget, while its sequel reportedly cost $40 million.

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Also, in 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II starred alongside Paddington in a sketch, "Paddington Meets the Queen," celebrating the Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace. The sketch featured the film version of Paddington, once again voiced by Whishaw. As previously reported by The Blast, the beloved drawing later won the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award at the BAFTA ceremony.

In the acceptance speech for the award, actor Simon Farnaby paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth, who passed away last September. Paddington's official page also commented on the BAFTA win in character, "Mr. Brown said we'd won a BAFTA, but I'm not quite sure what that means. Bear Awards For Teatime Adventures? How marvelous. Thank you all."

"Paddington 3" is currently in the works. It does not yet have an official release date. The beloved icon was created by Michael Bond for his series of children's books, first published in 1958. Paddington has endured and remained a unique character to this very day.