Nickelodeon has secured a global deal with STUDIOCANAL and award-winning producer David Heyman for a brand-new Paddington series for preschoolers.
Actor Ben Whishaw will reprise his role from the Paddington feature films as the voice of the beloved bear in the CGI-animated series, set for a 2020 premiere. It will air on Nickelodeon’s networks worldwide, with local broadcast partners to be secured in France, Canada, China and Japan.
It is a Heyday Films and STUDIOCANAL production in association with Copyrights. The series is helmed by Adam Shaw of Blue Zoo (Go Jetters, Digby Dragon, Miffy, Q Pootle 5), and developed for television and written by Jon Foster and James Lamont (The Amazing World of Gumball, Cuckoo, Paddington 1 & 2).
Executive Producer David Heyman noted, “It is a joy to bring this uniquely life-enhancing bear to a whole new audience of younger children. We are thrilled that the inimitably brilliant Ben Whishaw will continue to voice Paddington. And we are excited to be collaborating with the vibrant and dynamic animation team at Blue Zoo, working from scripts by the wonderfully talented screenwriting team Foster and Lamont. With producers Karen Davidsen and Simon Quinn, we’re all set for a glorious new chapter for Paddington.”
STUDIOCANAL CEO Didier Lupfer added, “Paddington is such a beloved character for all of us at STUDIOCANAL. We are incredibly happy to be back in his world introducing new generations to his kindness, generosity and spirit. We are inspired by the talented animation team at Blue Zoo partnering once again with our friends at Heyday. Foster and Lamont’s writing is so beautifully crafted we can’t wait for Nickelodeon and our local broadcast partners to premiere the series.”
“We can’t wait to welcome Paddington, one of the world’s most beloved characters, to our global Nickelodeon family with a series that will take him on fun and exciting new adventures, while staying true to his original heartfelt charm and spirit,” said Layla Lewis, senior VP of global acquisitions and content partnerships at Nickelodeon.
“I am absolutely delighted to see Paddington back on TV. The series will engage a whole new generation of Paddington-lovers across the world thanks to the bear’s inherent kindness and generosity,” stated Simon Gillham, chairman of Copyrights.
The story of Paddington 3 is currently in development with STUDIOCANAL and Heyday. Created by Michael Bond, the iconic character has been adapted for TV several times and made his film debut in 2014. In 2016, Vivendi took full ownership of the Paddington brand worldwide, with the exception of the classic publishing rights.