First reported in July of last year, the third installment for the always-polite Paddington bear has confirmed both director and title! Taking over for Paul King, who directed the first two Paddington films, will be award-winning Dougal Wilson for Paddington's third film, Paddington in Peru.

The franchise, from StudioCanal and Heyday Films, is being taken under Wilson's wing to continue the sweet little bear's legacy for his theatrical feature debut. King, who previously directed both Paddington films, is currently working on Warner Bros' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka, starring Timothee Chalamet, and is thrilled to be leaving the kindhearted bear in capable hands. Wilson, who has worked with brands like Apple, IKEA, and AT&T, tells The Hollywood Reporter that, "As a huge fan of the first two films, I am very excited (if not a little intimidated) to be continuing the story of Paddington." He intends to bring just as much heart, emotion, and creativity to the beloved franchise as he has his other projects, including his well-known Christmas advertisements in the UK and his work with artists like LCD Soundsystem and Coldplay.

King says:

“After ten years of working on the Paddington movies, I feel absurdly protective of the little bear, and I’m delighted that Dougal will be there to hold his paw as he embarks on his third big-screen adventure. Dougal’s work is never less than astounding: funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and totally original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to ‘Please Look After This Bear.’ I know Dougal will do so admirably.”

Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 (2017)

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As of now the cast and details of the plot for Padding in Peru are being kept under wraps, but will begin filming in both London and Peru in 2023. Fans of the bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw (Mary Poppins Returns), will recognize in the title Paddington's homeland, Peru. According to the classic stories by author Michael Bond, Paddington hails from "darkest Peru" and travels to London Paddington station where he is promptly adopted by the Brown family, portrayed in both Paddington films by Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey).

The Paddington films have been a huge success for StudioCanal, grossing over $500 million at the box office. This year has been equally successful for the bespectacled bear since his tea time with the Queen of England prior to the Platinum Jubilee celebration, and when he was referenced in actor Nicolas Cage's bizarre film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. As for the third installment, StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh, and EVP of Global Production Ron Halpern are eager to place Paddington's paw in Wilson's hand, praising the director's "stunning visual creativity, his storytelling, heart, emotion and humour."

Paddington in Peru will be produced by a long-time admirer of Wilson, David Heyman (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), and will be joined by King who will remain on the project as executive producer. King also wrote the story for the third film with previous Paddington collaborators Simon Farnaby and Mike Burton, who wrote the script with Jon Foster and James Lamont.

There is no official synopsis at this time.