Paddington 3 is officially in the works

Everyone's favorite bear (of the kind and polite variety) is on his way back to our screens – Paddington 3 is officially happening.

“We can confirm StudioCanal is working very hard on film 3 with the utmost craft and care – as with film 1 and 2," sources told Variety. 

Last week, actor Hugh Bonneville also said there was “forward momentum” on the project and that it was “somewhere on the horizon” in an interview with BBC Radio 2, but now we have official confirmation.

Paddington and the 2017 sequel, Paddington 2, follow the titular bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, who arrives in London from Peru and is taken by the Brown family – Henry (Bonneville) and Mary (Sally Hawkins) adopt him. Paddington often gets into a series of scrapes and mishaps in his signature duffle coat, but he always keeps his sense of optimism and generosity – this is about as wholesome as cinema gets. 

Director Paul King has previously said he will not be helming this installment of the franchise, but he'll still be involved – he's currently directing Wonka, Warner Bros.' Willy Wonka origin story that's set to be released in March 2023. 

As for plot details, casting, and all the other important details, nothing has been confirmed yet. The Paddington movies are renowned for their excellently cast villains, though – Nicole Kidman as villainous taxidermist Millicent Clyde in the first movie and Hugh Grant as egotistical thespian-turned-thief Phoenix Buchanan in the second – so we're excited to see who'll take over for number three. 

While we wait for Paddington 3 to hit the big screen, make sure you've caught up with the best movies of 2020.