Paddington Bear to hit the big screen

Paddington Bear is easily one of the most famous duffle coat wearers of them all. The bear with the blue duffle, floppy hat and briefcase (holding all those must-have marmalade sandwiches, of course) is an iconic image that’s loved by children across the globe and through the generations, and now he’s about to get a big screen makeover.

He first appeared in the 1958 book A Bear Called Paddington and since then some 11 titles and several much-loved TV shows have followed suit, all bringing with them the same charm that we know and love. Michael Bond’s books have sold more than 35 million copies the world over so it’s about time the lovable bear took to a step up to the big screen, and with David Heyman, the producer of all 8 Harry Potter films, being behind the upcoming film we can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like—it’s set to incorporate a combination of live action footage and computer-generated images to bring Paddington to life, bringing a modern take to the traditional stories.

There’s no word yet on when it’s going to be released but there are some tentative suggestions of who could be cast as the voice of the leading man, with Sir Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry all being in the frame. David Heyman has spoken of his affection for the bear, saying “Paddington Bear is a universally loved character, treasured for his optimism, his sense of fair play, and his perfect manners—and of course for his unintentional talent for comic chaos.” We couldn’t agree more. We grew up with those stories and now we’ll get the chance to see Paddington in a whole new way, and of course, we can’t wait to see what his duffle coat looks like…