Paddington Bear is donning his duffle coat for a fourth film

If there’s one thing that’s lifting our spirits right now, it’s a little brown bear in a blue duffle coat and a red hat: yes, we mean Paddington. He’s about to return to the big screen in Paddington in Peru, the third instalment in the much-loved film franchise, there’s a whole host of gorgeous gifts you can snap up inspired by him, and you can even step into his marmalade-filled world at a brand-new immersive event, The Paddington Bear Experience. And the good news is that he isn't looking to hang up his wellies any time soon.

A fourth film is officially in the works and it's set to mark the beloved bear’s 70^th anniversary. Paddington first appeared in Michael Bond’s children's book A Bear Called Paddington in 1958, and as well as becoming a national treasure, he's also since become a cinema icon. The first two instalments in the film franchise saw him journey from Peru to London and endure a stint behind bars for a robbery he didn't commit - and the third is no less thrilling.

Paddington in Peru sees Olivia Colman join Paddington (she also sings) on what might be his biggest adventure yet - in the Peruvian rainforest where he's planning to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). Only when he arrives, it turns out that Aunt Lucy has escaped the Home for Retired Bears - and so begins a journey into the Amazon to track her down.

Is Paddington 4 definitely happening?

StudioCanal executive, Françoise Guyonnet, has officially confirmed that a new film is in the works - hooray! Speaking at the Brand Licensing Europe convention in London recently, he said: "We are working on a new TV series and a new movie to come in 2027, '28," Yes, you read that right - it seems we won't just be getting a fourth film, but a TV series, too.

Who will star in Paddington 4?

Peter Mountain

While no details have been released yet, we're hopeful that some of the Paddington in Peru cast will return for the fourth instalment. These are the main stars of the third film:

Ben Wishaw, the voice behind Paddington
Imelda Staunton, the voice behind Aunt Lucy
Emily Mortimer, plays Mrs. Brown
Hugh Bonneville, plays Henry Brown
Madeleine Harris, plays Judy Brown
Samuel Joslin, plays Jonathan Brown
Julie Walters, plays Mrs Bird
Olivia Colman, plays The Reverend Mother
Antonio Banderas, plays Hunter Cabot
Jim Broadbent, plays Samuel Gruber

What could happen in Paddington 4?

Peter Mountain

Details of what will happen to the characters haven't yet been revealed, but we do know that in the third film Aunt Lucy finds herself in danger, so the question is: what will her fate be? Surely nothing terrible could happen to her, could it? As for Paddington, it remains to be seen whether he'll return home to London and the Brown family (and stay there), or if his next adventure will take him elsewhere. It looks like we'll have to wait and see.

When can we expect Paddington 4 to be released?

The film's release will coincide with the bear's 70th anniversary in 2028, which means we're unfortunately going to have to wait a while for the next film. Fortunately though, if all goes to plan, the TV series will arrive in 2027, to help fill the Paddington-shaped hole in our lives. And in the meantime? We'll see you at the cinema.

Paddington in Peru is in cinemas from 8th November.