After rumors pegging the first Paddington movie as an unmitigated disaster that was so bad it allegedly scares Colin Firth away from voicing the role of the iconic bear turned out to be pleasantly wrong, the film went on to make almost $270 million at the global box office, you knew a sequel was on its way. Today we’ve got the first look and it actually looks promising.
Ben Whishaw is returning as the voice of Paddington bear in a cast that reads like a British film with eyes on an Oscar: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Imelda Staunton. And, with a cast like that, you can bet that the film will premier in the UK before it hits us over here. So, UK audiences will get to see Paddington 2 on November 10th and in the U.S., we’ll get it on January 12, 2018.
PADDINGTON 2 finds Paddington happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where he has become a popular member of the community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief…