Ben Whishaw returns to voice Paddington in new children's TV show
The actor will reprise his role from the films in a new animated series aimed at pre-school children
After winning audiences over in two feature films as the voice of Paddington Bear, Ben Whishaw is set to reprise his role in a new TV series for Nickelodeon.
Each episode of the animated show – a co-production from producer David Heyman's Heyday Films and StudioCanal – will reportedly see a younger version of the Peruvian marmalade guzzler write a letter to his aunt Lucy detailing his latest adventures in and around Windsor Gardens.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, writers Jon Foster and James Lamont, who wrote drafts of the first two Paddington films, have developed the series for television. It is aimed at a pre-school audience, and is set to arrive in 2020.
As for Paddington 3, the latest report is that Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton are working on the script – with the search for a new director the next challenge.
Director Paul King is stepping aside from Paddington as he works on a Willy Wonka reboot.
"Paul is involved in it, I wanted him to be involved in it because I think he’s such a significant voice, but I don’t think he’ll direct it," David Heyman told Collider.
"He worked on the idea. He comes up with the idea with Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton and then they develop it and come back for more, back and forth, and then it’ll get written and Paul will come in and stir it up a little bit. But he’s an incredible collaborator, Paul."
Whatever way you paint it, two significant doses of Paddington to look forward to over the next few years can only be a good thing...
