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As another marmalade-packed outing awaits, the onus is on the friendly bear to succeed where Neo, Batman and Shrek failed
Back in action … Paddington. Photograph: Studiocanal/PA
Back in action … Paddington. Photograph: Studiocanal/PA
Fri 19 Feb 2021 06.29 EST
Last modified on Fri 19 Feb 2021 10.39 EST
To quote Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, the news that a third Paddington film is in the works shines like a good deed in a weary world. Hailed as one of the best family movies of modern times, Paddington 2 has amassed cult fanbase, and it’s easy to see why. From the earnest aphorisms of Paddington himself to the glory of Hugh Grant’s narcissistic, preening Phoenix Buchanan, the film is marmalade-packed with wit and warmth. Grant even suggested, in his customarily dry way, that it was perhaps the best film he had ever been in. But in the shadow of such a success, is a third film a mistake, especially if it is to be completed without Paul King in the director’s chair?