Paddington 2 is a 2017 live-action animated comedy film directed by Paul King from a screenplay written by King and Simon Farnaby. Based on the stories of Paddington Bear created by Michael Bond (to whom the film is also dedicated), it is the sequel to Paddington (2014) and the second installment in the Paddington film series. It is a British-French-Luxembourgish co-production and stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Hugh Grant in live-action roles. The film follows Paddington as he is framed and imprisoned for a burglary he did not commit. To free him, the Brown family must find the real culprit and prove his innocence.
The film was confirmed to be in development in April 2015. Principal photography began in October 2016 and ended in June 2017. It was theatrically released on 10 November 2017 in the United Kingdom and on 6 December in France, and grossed $290million.
Paddington 2 received critical acclaim and was nominated for three BAFTAs: Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor, for Grant. A third film, Paddington in Peru, was released in 2024.
Plot
Having found an adopted home with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, London, Paddington begins working to buy a pop-up book of London in Samuel Gruber's antique shop for his aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, working as a window cleaner and saving his wages. One night, he witnesses a burglary at the shop, in which the book is stolen. Paddington pursues the thief, but is framed and arrested, and the thief—the Browns' neighbour, actor Phoenix Buchanan—escapes with the book. With no evidence of the thief's existence, Paddington is convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Knuckles McGinty, the prison chef, recruits Paddington to work in the kitchen after inadvertently tasting one of his marmalade sandwiches. Meanwhile, the Browns, seeking to exonerate Paddington, put up sketches of the thief all over London, while Buchanan uses clues within the book to locate a hidden fortune. Growing suspicious of Buchanan, Mary and Henry break into his house, where they discover a secret attic filled with numerous costumes, including the one he wore during the burglary. They present the evidence to the police, who decline it. Meanwhile, Paddington believes that the Browns have forgotten him when they miss a visit.
Paddington and Knuckles, along with two other inmates Phibs and Spoon, escape the prison at midnight. While Paddington's fellow escapees had initially promised to help prove his innocence, they later reveal that their true intention is to flee the country, prompting Paddington to abandon them. Paddington uses a public telephone to contact the Browns, who inform him that Buchanan is the real thief. Aiming to expose Buchanan, they arrange to meet at Paddington station, where a carnival train carrying the hidden fortune is due to depart.
Paddington, disguising himself as a litter bin, boards the train immediately before it leaves, and the Browns follow him in an LNER Peppercorn Class A1. Buchanan locks Paddington inside the train's brake van and severs the coupling, but is then subdued by Henry. The brake van rolls into a nearby river with Paddington trapped inside, but Knuckles, Phibs, and Spoon arrive to help Mary save Paddington.
Paddington falls into a coma, but wakes up on Aunt Lucy's birthday to find himself at home. He learns that he has been exonerated, Buchanan has been arrested, and the police have taken the book as evidence. Much to his delight, he also discovers that the Browns and their neighbours have arranged transport from Peru for Aunt Lucy to visit London in person.
Cast
Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown, the Browns' patriarch, Mary's husband, Judy and Jonathan's father, and the adoptive father of Paddington. Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown, Henry's wife, Judy and Jonathan's mother, and Paddington's adoptive mother. This is the last film in the series where Hawkins portrayed Mary Brown before Emily Mortimer took over the role for the next film. Brendan Gleeson as Knuckles McGinty, a chef of Portobello Prison whom Paddington befriends Julie Walters as Mrs Bird, the housekeeper of the Brown residence Jim Broadbent as Mr Samuel Gruber, the owner of an antique shop Peter Capaldi as Mr Reginald Curry, the Brown family's cranky neighbour Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown, Henry and Mary's daughter, Jonathan's sister, and Paddington's adoptive sister Samuel Joslin as Jonathan "J-Dog" Brown, Henry and Mary's son, Judy's brother, and Paddington's adoptive brother Dame Eileen Atkins as Madame Kozlova, the owner of the fair Imelda Staunton as the voice of Lucy, Paddington's aunt Michael Gambon as the voice of Pastuzo, Lucy's late husband, and Paddington's late uncle Tom Conti as Gerald Biggleswade, a judge, who is a customer at Giuseppe's Grooming Salon Joanna Lumley as Felicity Fanshaw Noah Taylor as Miguel Phibs, a prisoner Aaron Neil as Raul "Spoon" Spooner, a prisoner Jessica Hynes as Miss Kitts, a newspaper seller Ben Miller as Colonel Lancaster, Miss Kitts' lover Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Jafri, the Brown family's next-door neighbour who always forgets his keys Robbie Gee as Mr Fred Barnes, a garbage man Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan, an actor and master of disguise, who steals the pop-up book Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington Brown, a young Peruvian bear
Marie-France Alvarez as Mademoiselle Dubois, a woman who rides a bicycle Enzo Squillino Jr. as Mr Giuseppe, a barber Louis Partridge as G-Man, a friend of Jonathan's Meera Syal as a prosecutor Richard Ayoade as a forensic investigator Tom Davis as T-Bone, a prisoner Jamie Demetriou as the Professor, a prisoner Simon Farnaby as Barry, a security guard Maggie Steed as Gertrude Biggleswade, Gerald's wife Kya Garwood as Felicity Fanshawe’s Assistant
Production In April 2015, David Heyman, the producer of Paddington (2014), confirmed that a sequel was in development. It was also announced that Paul King would return to direct, and co-write the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. Heyman's Heyday Films, and StudioCanal, produced the film, making it a British-French co-production. By October 2016, most of the cast of Paddington—Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton—were confirmed to be returning for the sequel, joined by Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson. King conceived Phoenix Buchanan as a vain, narcissistic and unsuccessful actor and approached Hugh Grant specifically for the role. King later said that Grant contributed additional comedy to the character through suggestions and rewrites during production.
Principal photography began on 18 October. Many of the domestic interiors were filmed on stages at Pinewood Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, but producers also shot at key central London locations like Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral. Jonah Coombes, supervising location on both Paddington and the sequel, stated, "We were looking for locations that celebrated London and delivered the kind of cinematic scale we were looking for." Framestore provided the visual effects for the film, including the elaborate pop-up book sequence. On 7 February 2017, filming featured in the CBBC documentary series All Over the Workplace. Filming took place in London's Little Venice for three days, and also at Shepton Mallet Prison and Knebworth Park. Craig Revel Horwood choreographed the prison dance scene. Principal photography wrapped on 27 June 2017. Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear, died the same day, and the film was dedicated to him.
Writing and influences King and co-writer Simon Farnaby initially found it difficult to devise a story for the sequel because Paddington does not possess a conventional character flaw that needs to be overcome. King said that the films of Frank Capra, particularly Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), provided the eventual structure: placing an innocent, well-intentioned protagonist in a cynical environment and testing whether his values could survive. King described the prison storyline as the ultimate test of Paddington's belief in kindness and politeness.
For the film's visual style, King cited The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), particularly its colour palette, as an influence on the transformation of the prison into a pastel-coloured environment. He also cited Amélie (2001) and the films of Jacques Tati as influences on the romanticised depiction of the city, while Charlie Chaplin influenced the film's visual comedy and prison sequences.
Soundtrack
The music of the film was composed by Dario Marianelli.
Additional music in the film, not included on the soundtrack recording, includes "Rain on the Roof" (Stephen Sondheim) – Hugh Grant, which is performed during the end credits.
Release Paddington 2 had its world premiere in London on 5 November 2017, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 10 November. It was released on 6 December in France, 7 December in Germany, 21 December in Australia and New Zealand, and 12 January 2018 in the United States.
Distribution StudioCanal distributed Paddington 2 in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
The Weinstein Company was originally slated to distribute Paddington 2 in the United States through TWC-Dimension, as with the first film. However, following the sexual abuse allegations against the studio founder Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, Heyday Films and StudioCanal severed ties with them, believing that a children's film should not be associated with the Weinstein scandal. In November 2017, Warner Bros. Pictures, which distributed Heyday's Harry Potter films and was already distributing the Paddington films in Spain, acquired the film's North American distribution rights for $32 million (£24 million). Warner Bros. also gained the right of first refusal to distribute future Paddington films in North America, though it was later rescinded when it was announced that the third film would be distributed by Sony Pictures in that region.
Marketing
From 9 October 2017, five pop-up installations of Paddington's pop-up book, featured in the film, were placed around London, at Peter's Hill, Tower Bridge, Paddington Station, Peninsula Square and Bankside. The event was promoted by Visit London. The launch was attended by Hugh Bonneville and the mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
On 16 October 2017, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attended a Paddington 2 charity event at Paddington Station, along with some of the cast and crew of the film. A video game based on the film, Paddington Run, was released on iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices on 25 October 2017.
On 26 October 2017, it was announced that Paddington would appear in the 2017 Marks & Spencer Christmas advertisement. A teaser was released on 4 November 2017. The advertisement itself was released on 7 November 2017 and had its television premiere on the Pride of Britain Awards 2017. Whishaw returned to voice Paddington, with the advertisement also featuring Mark Benton and Angela Rippon.
Home media Paddington 2 was released for digital purchase in March 2018. The film was released in the United Kingdom on Blu-ray, DVD & 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on 12 March 2018. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD in the United States on 24 April 2018 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Reception Box office Paddington 2 grossed $40.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $242.8 million in other countries (including $110.9 million in the United Kingdom), for a worldwide total of $290.1 million.