I dreamed a dream of bears gone by – everyone’s favourite fuzzball is heading to a UK stage in 2025. More below…
Paul King’s Wonka seems to have got Studiocanal in the mood for another musical. In the week that the toe-tappingly cheerful chocolatier tale shot to the top of the UK box office, the studio, along with Sonia Friedman Productions and Eliza Lumley Productions, have announced work has started on bringing their most successful (and most ursine) property to the stage in an original musical.
McFly’s Tom Fletcher is on music and lyrics duty, with Jessica Swale (who won an Olivier-award in 2016 for her comedy Nell Gwynn) writing the script. Luke Sheppard, who recently directed inspiring musical-drama The Little Big Things on the West End, is attached to direct the show tentatively titled Paddington: The Musical.
“It is a privilege to be creating a new musical about this gorgeous and beloved little bear with such a wonderful team,” producers Friedman and Lumley said in a statement. “The magic of Paddington is that, through his wide-eyed innocence, he sees the very best in humanity, reminding us that love and kindness can triumph if we open our hearts and minds to one another. We cannot wait to bring Paddington, his antics, adventures and mishaps with the Brown family, and Michael Bond’s other treasured characters to the stage. We hope to inspire audiences of all ages with fun, beauty, joy, and all that Paddington stands for.”
Ann Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal, added: “We could not be more delighted to see our beloved Paddington take to the stage shepherded by a talented and visionary team in Sonia and Eliza. They have opened their hearts to show a deep understanding and passion for Paddington that will no doubt transpire on stage and ensure that his adventures, created by Michael Bond over 60 years ago, continue to charm audiences in such a new and innovative way.”
The current plan is to get the show on a UK stage sometime in 2025, with workshops currently underway to get the thing written. In the meantime, the concluding chapter in Studiocanal’s superlative Paddington trilogy, Paddington In Peru, is set for a cinema release on 8th November 2024. The film recently earned the auspicious accolade of Film Stories’ most anticipated film of 2024.
