Will there be a Paddington 4?

Paddington Bear returns to the big screen with his latest adventure, which takes him to his home back in deepest, darkest Peru.

As Paddington in Peru arrives in cinemas, film fans are already anticipating what will come next for the loveable bear voiced by Ben Whishaw. Luckily we already know the future for Paddington and the Brown family even before the events of the threequel are widely known to the public.

Here is everything that we know so far. But, fair warning: this article contains some spoilers for Paddington in Peru.

Is Paddington 4 happening?

The good news is that Paddington 4 has already been confirmed. A studio executive confirmed the news back in September long before the third film's release.

Françoise Guyonnet, the CEO of StudioCanal, revealed the news at the Brand Licensing Europe 2024 convention in September per The Hollywood Reporter, announcing that the company were not only working on another film but also a TV series to coincide with it. The studio executive said: "We are also working on a new TV series and a new movie to come in 2027, ’28."

Read more:

• Paddington in Peru fails to live up to Paddington 2 but is 'just as jolly', critics say

• Why isn’t Sally Hawkins in Paddington 3?

• Paddington in Peru has 'enormous heart and a lot of marmalade', Hugh Bonneville teases

2028 will be the 70th anniversary for Paddington, who first appeared in Michael Bond's children's book A Bear Called Paddington in 1958. How the film could mark this huge milestone is unclear, but it seems entirely possible for a big celebration to be had in the film.

What could Paddington 4 be about?

Both the fourth film and TV series are in early development, so details on which characters will return and what will happen to them have not yet been revealed. However it's safe to assume that Whishaw will return to voice Paddington, and he will continue to enjoy life in London with the Brown Family.

The first three films have drawn a number of A-list stars to thwart Paddington, the first starred Nicole Kidman and the second featured Hugh Grant, while Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas appear in the third film as a nun and riverboat captain, respectively.

Colman's Reverend Mother and Banderas' Hunter Cabot meet Paddington and the Brown family in Peru, when they travel to the country to see Aunt Lucy who they later learn has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears. It's up to Paddington to try and find his loved one, and he sets off on a dangerous adventure in the Amazon to do so with only a few clues to guide him.

The third film finds Paddington and the Brown family discovering the lost city of El Dorado, which is actually an orange grove where a community of bears live. It is where Paddington was born, and where he lived before he became lost and was rescued by Aunt Lucy — while his reunion is sweet, and full of marmalade, the bear decides he wants to return home to London with the Browns, who he feels are his family now.

Even so Paddington continues to keep contact with his new family, who come to visit him in London. The bears also take the time to see Phoenix Bucanan (Grant) in prison, where the reformed villain reveals that he will soon be let out of prison and would love to play Goldilocks to three of Paddington's kin. Does this mean that Grant could return as Phoenix in a fourth film? Possibly, but we won't know for sure until an official announcement is made.

Paddington in Peru is out in UK cinemas now