Paddington film producers cause fury in Peru over decision to make new movie in Colombia instead of the famous bear’s ‘home nation’

• Paddington bear travelled to the UK from the ‘deepest darkest Peru’ in the books
• New film shows homecoming but scenes will be shot in neighbouring Colombia 

The producers for the next instalment of beloved bear Paddington’s silver screen adventures have stirred up a Hollywood-sized storm by choosing Colombia as the filming location for our furry friend’s heartfelt return to his homeland.

When the eponymous bear was first found at Paddington station, he was a mere stowaway who travelled all the way to London from ‘darkest Peru’ on an adventure of epic proportions.

Now after decades of frolicking about the streets of the British capital, the upcoming 2024 blockbuster ‘Paddington in Peru’ will see him make the return trip to South America, with his adoptive Brown family in tow for the holiday of a lifetime.

But the section of the film depicting his homecoming will instead be shot largely in neighbouring Colombia.

The decision has outraged Peruvian lawmakers, who feel it shows Lima’s filmmaking industry cannot secure prestigious productions, even when the storyline dictates it really ought to do so. 

When the eponymous bear was first found at Paddington station, he was a mere stowaway having travelled all the way to London from ‘darkest Peru’ on an adventure of epic proportions

Paddington will return to his homeland Peru (pictured) in the next instalment of the film franchise

Olivia Colman is seen on set of Paddington in Peru in scenes filmed in North East London

Images from the scene of the Paddington in Peru set show filming has restarted in Buckinghamshire after delays due to actor strikes

Regardless of where Paddington in Peru is filmed, it’s almost certain to be a hit. 

The first Paddington movie was released in 2014, and it has been six years since the second film in the franchise, Paddington 2, hit movie theatres in 2017.  

Together, the two films scored more than $500M between them at the box office and both were BAFTA-nominated. 

Sadly, Michael Bond, the creator of the Paddington books, died in 2017 aged 91 while the second film was being made. 

Bond did send his bear back to Darkest Peru — in 1964, when he took a trip to celebrate his Great Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday (an event that featured in Paddington 2).

In the third instalment, financed by Studiocanal, Paddington will return to visit Great Aunt Lucy, and there’s talk of an extended family of bear cousins for us all to get to know.

But the decision to film much of the film’s South American scenes in Colombia rather than Peru has perturbed lawmakers. 

In response, Peruvian Congresswoman Adriana Tuleda has proposed a blockbuster bill to inject life into Peru’s film scene. 

She claims Peru’s movie industry is hamstrung by a lack of incentives and too much bureaucratic red tape that prevents any big budget operations from landing there.

In the third instalment, financed by Studiocanal, Paddington will return to visit Great Aunt Lucy, and there’s talk of an extended family of bear cousins for us all to get to know. 

The first Paddington movie was released in 2014, and it has been six years since the second film in the franchise, Paddington 2, hit movie theatres in 2017. Together, the two films scored more than $500M between them at the box office and both were BAFTA-nominated

‘I believe in good Peruvian films,’ Tudela told Peru’s El Comercio newspaper. ‘But the market needs to be more dynamic… to have an industry that is self-sustainable, not just relying on subsidies.’ 

Her proposal would see a 50 per cent state funding cap placed on national films, something its supporters feel would cut down on bureaucracy and boost competition among domestic and international filmmakers.

But other industry figures say it would hurt Indigenous and regional movie-makers who have benefitted from government grants.

Peruvian director Josué Mendéz slammed the bill, saying: ‘To erase all the cinema that is made in the regions and allow only one type of cinema from Lima, in Spanish, would cancel a large part of the identity of the country.’ 

MailOnline has contacted Studiocanal for comment. 

Paddington bear could not be immediately reached. 

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