‘Paddington 3’: Antonio Banderas and Rachel Zegler Join Cast, Emily Mortimer to Replace Sally Hawkins

Paddington 3 has filled out its cast while one player steps away from the franchise.

Antonio Banderas and Rachel Zegler will join franchise newcomer Olivia Colman in the third film in the series, while Emily Mortimer has been tapped to replace Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, the family matriarch.

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“For me, it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special. She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. However, I am, and will always be in love with Paddington’s world,” Hawkins said in a statement.

Returning cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin, as well as Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington and Imelda Staunton returning as the voice of Aunt Lucy.

The official synopsis for the film reads: “Paddington’s story full circle as he returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.”

Colman will play a nun who runs the Home for Retired Bears. Banderas will play a dashing and intrepid riverboat captain who offers to help the Brown family on their Peruvian adventure, along with his daughter, who will be played by Zegler.

Paddington in Peru will be the feature debut of Dougal Wilson, the award-winning commercial and music video director. Heyday and StudioCanal are producing the feature. Filming will be done on location in London and Peru.

StudioCanal, which is fully backing the movie, will release Paddington in Peru in the U.K., France, Germany, Benelux, Australia/New Zealand and Poland. Sony Pictures holds rights for the rest of the world, excluding Russia, China and Japan.

The Paddington movies have been both a commercial and critical success for StudioCanal, grossing more than $500 million at the worldwide box office. The first two movies have a 97 percent and 99 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, and have reached cult status as well. Recently, the movies were referenced in the plot of Nicolas Cage starrer The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, while Paddington participated in Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration, a skit that earned a BAFTA honor.

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