Despite the success of Paddington in Peru, Paddington 4 has been dealt a disappointing blow.
In September 2024, a StudioCanal executive confirmed that a fourth film was in development to coincide with the beloved bear's 70th anniversary in 2028.
However, producer Rosie Alison has described this announcement as "premature", revealing that the future of Paddington hangs in the balance, dependent on the global box office performance of the third film.
The movie is set to be released in various territories throughout January and February, including Australia, the US, and Europe.
Speaking to Screen Daily, Alison explained: "We have to wait and see how this one performs in the rest of the world and the States, as we hope it will. We will see how things look by Easter. But hopefully. There's a very clear hint of what might happen next at the end of this film."
She added: "Obviously I love the first two films, but I feel very protective about the third film mindful that we were going to be up against it if everybody was saying 'It's not as good as Paddington 2', but feeling that it does have its own qualities and that it was worth doing."
Paddington in Peru hit UK cinemas in November, garnering critical acclaim and box office success. In its debut weekend alone, it achieved the largest opening of the year for a British-produced film, as well as the best since Bond's No Time To Die, which was released in 2021.
The Express reports the three-day total came to £9.65 million, surpassing the first two films which earned £5.1 million and £8.2 million in their opening weekends.
So far, it has grossed $51.2 million, but it remains to be seen how the film will be received in other parts of the world.
The original Paddington film was released in 2014, followed by Paddington 2 in 2017.
In addition to the films, a television series titled The Adventures of Paddington was announced in 2017.
The series premiered globally on Nickelodeon and aired for the first time on January 20, 2020.
The beloved bear first appeared in the children's book A Bear Called Paddington by British author Michael Bond on October 13, 1958.
He featured in 29 books by the author, with the last, Paddington at St Paul's, being published posthumously in 2018.
The character has become a classic figure in children's literature, with the iconic bear known for his old red hat, brown suitcase, blue duffel coat and insatiable love for marmalade.
Paddington in Peru is still available to watch in select cinemas in the UK
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