Paddington in Peru, the third installment in the Paddington Bear film series, earned £9.65 million at the U.K. box office during its opening weekend, according to Variety.
Equivalent to about $12.4 million, the three-day performance set a record for British-produced films this year and marked the highest-grossing opening weekend for a U.K. film since 2021’s James Bond entry No Time to Die. Financed by StudioCanal, the family-friendly adventure represents the studio’s most expensive investment and its best U.K. opening weekend to date.
Compared to previous CGI-animated Paddington films, Paddington in Peru also set a franchise record. The original Paddington earned £5.1 million in its opening weekend, while Paddington 2 (2017) opened with £8.2 million. Both films achieved international acclaim, collectively grossing around $600 million, making Paddington the most successful independent family film franchise. As Paddington in Peru prepares to open in the U.S. on Jan. 17, time will tell if it can match the success of its predecessors.
Opening in 732 theaters—the most for any release this year—the film secured the third-largest U.K. opening, behind Deadpool & Wolverine (£17.2 million) and Inside Out 2 (£11.3 million). The cast features Ben Whishaw reprising his role as Paddington, joined by returning members Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin. New cast members include Olivia Colman, Emily Mortimer, Carla Tous and Antonio Banderas.
In Paddington in Peru, the marmalade-loving bear ventures into the Peruvian jungle, where his Aunt Lucy has disappeared from her cabin at the Home for Retired Bears. Hijinks ensue as the family joins Paddington on a journey through the Amazon and Peru to find her.
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