It has been confirmed today that Paddington helmer Paul King is set to return to write and direct the sequel, no great surprise given the success of the first instalment last Winter.
Paddington producer David Heyman has been courting him to come back to the franchise since the first instalment proved to be both a critical and commercial hit, and King will work with Simon Farnaby on the story which it’s hoped will be the second in a long running series.
Paddington was a movie with a lot of heart, something which translated well into box office takings after it grossed over $260 million worldwide. King also played a key creative role in the first instalment after working with writer Hamish McColl (Johnny English Reborn) on that movie’s story. Farnaby and King have worked together before as the actor appeared in both Paddington and the filmmaker’s previous and only only other film, Bunny And The Bull.
Paddington is thought to be a priority for StudioCanal, but they won’t be rushing the process as the hope is that the sequel will be just as good as the first instalment. Time will tell on that front, but we probably won’t see this one reach the big screen until 2017 or beyond…
