Paddington in Peru: UK release date, synopsis, run time, age rating and early reviews for the new film

• The third adventure of the beloved Paddington Bear opens in UK cinemas this week.
• Paddington in Peru sees our titular hero swap North London for South America in the new film.
• But what have early reviews been for the new film so far, and is it safe to take the young ones to this week?

Get the marmalade sandwiches at the ready by the end of the week, unless cinema chains start selling them before the screenings of Paddington in Peru, opening November 8 2024.

The third in the successful franchise regarding the bear’s adventures since moving in with the Brown family brings most of the original cast back to the screen, with one rather large omission though being recast with a BAFTA nominee instead. 

But Ben Whishaw will once again provide the voice of the beloved bear, as he decides to travel for his family members back in his homeland of Peru, leading to a well-received change of scenery from London and surrounding areas to that of the Amazon rainforest or Peruvian landscape. 

The threequel will hope to capture both the imaginations and the wallets of cinemagoers once again this year; the original film in 2015 grossed a box office total of $280 million from a budget of only $55 million making it a sleeper hit at the cinemas upon release.

That was then followed up by the highly-acclaimed sequel starring Hugh Grant, Paddington 2 in 2017, earning an additional $230 millions worldwide at the box office. That’s a lot of marmalade sandwiches, we’re sure you’ll agree.

But will the third film still have the same earnest charm and slapstick humour that made the previous two so beloved? Early reviews seem to indicate that might indeed be the case once again. 

What is Paddington in Peru all about?

The official synopsis for Paddington in Peru reads: “Paddington and his adopted family – the Browns – decide to visit his aunt Lucy in Peru. Circumstances lead the group to search for Lucy in the Amazon rainforest and the Peruvian mountains.”

Who stars in Paddington in Peru? 

Alongside the titular bear himself (voiced once again by Ben Whishaw)? Well, Imelda Staunton is set to voice Aunt Lucy, while Emily Mortimer takes over the role of Mary Brown. The character was portrayed by Sally Hawkins in the previous two movies.

• Ben Whishaw as Paddington Brown
• Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy
• Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown
• Emily Mortimer as Mary Brown
• Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown
• Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown
• Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird
• Jim Broadbent as Samuel Gruber
• Olivia Colman as The Reverend Mother
• Antonio Banderas as Hunter Cabot
• Carla Tous as Gina Cabot

What is the run time for Paddington in Peru?

IMDB lists the run time of Paddington in Peru as 104 minutes, or in layman's terms one hour and 44 minutes. So expect a two hour visit to the cinema, including trailers, this weekend. 

What is the UK age rating for Paddington in Peru?

Despite the genteel nature of the film, the British Board of Film Classification have still rated Paddington in Peru as a PG due to “mild threat”.

In their reasoning for the PG rating, the BBFC advised that the film has “brief moments may unsettle very young children, but there is humour and reassurance throughout.”

What have early reviews been for Paddington in Peru so far?

Though there haven’t been enough reviews yet for Rotten Tomatoes to aggregate a total critics score, the reviews that have appeared online so far have been positive. 

Katie Smith-Wong for Flick Feast stated that the film “Peru promises wholesome fun and adventure - and the reassurance that there will be more to come from the marmalade-loving bear.” 

However, Peter Bradshaw in his three-star review for The Guardian called the film “[…] a perfectly decent bet for the holidays, and never anything other than entertaining, but the gag density has thinned out and removing Paddington from Blighty, though making perfect narrative and dramatic sense.”

Paddington in Peru opens in cinemas on November 8 2024 including Vue and Odeon. Those with a subscription to Odeon’s MyLIMITLESS membership can watch the film along with other new releases as part of your subscription. For more information on MyLIMITLESS, visit the official page on the Odeon’s website.