Commercials director Dougal Wilson will make his feature directorial debut on the third installment of the “Paddington” franchise, which will be titled “Paddington in Peru”, for StudioCanal and Heydey Films, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
Wilson is taking over directing duties from franchise director Paul King, who helmed the first two films.
“Paddington in Peru” is set to begin principal photography in 2023 and will shoot in London and Peru.
King will return to executive produce “Paddington 3,” which once again follows the beloved bear voiced by Ben Whishaw. King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton wrote the story for “Paddington in Peru,” and the screenplay is by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont.
“Paddington in Peru” reunites StudioCanal with Heyday Films following their collaboration on the previous two “Paddington” films. StudioCanal is fully financing third film in the beloved “Paddington franchise.
The previous two “Paddington” films were not just box office hits but beloved critical darlings. The second film briefly ousted “Citizen Kane” on Rotten Tomatoes as the best reviewed movie of all time, hanging on to a perfect score with no negative reviews until quite recently.
The film stars Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, along with Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville and a rotating cast of characters that has included Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant, Nicole Kidman, Brendan Gleeson and Julie Walters.
A veteran of directing commercials and music videos, Wilson has directed spots for for Apple, Ikea, The BBC, and Amnesty International. His Christmas ads for UK department store John Lewis have become a widely talked-about part of British popular culture. Wilson was also nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2020.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.