Call it the expanding Paddingtonverse… Or don't we're not the boss of you. But Jim Broadbent's favourite little bear is making his way on a new journey — to the stage. Yes, we've reached the point in the Paddington cycle where the decision has been made to turn his story into a stage musical.
Studiocanal, which produced the (so far) two movies is backing this one, joining forces with Sonia Friedman Productions and Eliza Lumley Productions. So far, few details have been released, beyond a plan to debut in 2025 and that Tom Fletcher of boyband McFly has signed on to write the music and lyrics.
“It is a privilege to be creating a new musical about this gorgeous and beloved little bear with such a wonderful team,” Friedman and Lumley said in a joint statement. “The magic of Paddington is that, through his wide-eyed innocence, he sees the very best in humanity, reminding us that love and kindness can triumph if we open our hearts and minds to one another. We cannot wait to bring Paddington, his antics, adventures, and mishaps with the Brown family, and Michael Bond’s other treasured characters to the stage. We hope to inspire audiences of all ages with fun, beauty, joy, and all that Paddington stands for.”
Paddington will, of course, be back on our screens next year, with director Dougal Wilson shepherding Paddington In Peru through post-production with an 8 November 2024 release on the books.
Given this latest development, we can surely expect the musical movie version within a decade or so…