Paddington Bear, one of the most beloved figures from children’s literature, has now received a unique honour – a British passport.
Known for his adventures that began in Peru, the marmalade-loving bear was officially granted the document by the United Kingdom’s Home Office in response to a special request from the production team of the latest film, ‘Paddington in Peru’.
Producer Rob Silva shared this surprising news in an interview with the ‘Radio Times’, revealing how the production team asked for a replica passport for Paddington to be used in the film.
“We wrote to the Home Office asking if we could get a replica, and they actually issued Paddington with an official passport – there’s only one of these,” Silva disclosed. He added, “You wouldn’t think the Home Office would have a sense of humor, but under official observations, they’ve just listed him as ‘Bear.’”
This one-of-a-kind passport, featuring a photo of Paddington pressing his face against the camera and sticking his tongue out, lists his full name as Paddington Brown.
It notes his birthplace as Peru, with a birth date of June 25, a nod to the bear’s origin story as an orphan from the South American country.
Despite its official look, the Home Office clarified that this specimen cannot be used for real travel.
In ‘Paddington in Peru’, the bear sets off on a new adventure. With his adopted family, the Browns, he travels to his homeland after receiving his British passport to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears.
However, upon their arrival, they discover that Aunt Lucy has gone missing, launching a thrilling search that takes Paddington and the Browns deep into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Ben Whishaw, who has voiced Paddington since the character’s big-screen debut, spoke to the ‘Radio Times’ about his experience recording for the film.
He mentioned that, despite the film’s globe-trotting storyline, he spent the entire shoot in a studio in central London.
“I never met Antonio [Banderas] or Olivia [Colman] for this film, but I hope I will at some point because I watched their performances and enjoyed them so enormously,” he said. “On ‘Paddington 2’, I never saw Hugh Grant, not once.”
Whishaw also reflected on how little effort it takes for him to find Paddington’s voice. “It’s not like I’m putting on a voice, but it is somehow different,” he noted.
The latest movie, directed by Dougal Wilson, follows the huge success of the previous two films, ‘Paddington’ (2014) and ‘Paddington 2’, 2017.
Wilson acknowledged the challenge of living up to the high bar set by its predecessors, calling ‘Paddington 2’ “one of the greatest films of all time” and admitting to feeling “incredibly apprehensive” about taking on the third installment. “I was very scared and very anxious,” he said. “I’m under no illusion of how difficult it is to follow up those first two films, and obviously a third film is always very challenging. I really hope we don’t let down the fans.”
The much-anticipated ‘Paddington in Peru’ is slated for release in the U.S. on January 17, 2025, continuing the beloved bear’s adventures that began in Michael Bond’s 1958 book, ‘A Bear Called Paddington’.
