Paddington franchise to get fourth installment

Studiocanal is heading into a new era. Not only is the Paddington producer coming off a landmark year, with his films set to gross nearly $300 million worldwide in 2024 (a 94% increase from last year), but in December, his parent company Canal+ debuted on the London Stock Exchange after being spun off from Vincent Bollore’s French media conglomerate Vivendi. Studiocanal is planning its next steps for the Paddington franchise, which will include another feature film, as well as a TV series and a stage show, reported by Deadline.

Paddington is an example of how to use IP

Studiocanal’s successful 2024 has been fueled by a number of its own productions: Paddington in Peru has grossed $104 million worldwide and has yet to open in major markets such as the US, Germany, France and South Korea. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star in “We Live in the Moment” is approaching $65 million. Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” has grossed $15 million in the UK; Olivia Colman and Jesse Buckley star in “The Mean Little Letters” has grossed $12 million in the UK.

Paddington is a prime example of how the group can use IP. Studiocanal fully financed the third installment of the franchise, which cost $90 million and was the highest opening for a franchise in the UK when it was released in November. “There will be a fourth film,” says Marsh. “We’re thinking about the next films and working on a new series, as well as a musical with Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley”.

Studiocanal’s US partners

US partners are key to Studiocanal’s major productions. It has worked with Focus on the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, Sony on Paddington in Peru and A24 on We Live in Time. “We definitely try to find a US partner before the cameras start rolling because it helps us in the final stages of development to get our story out there and make sure we can resonate with American audiences,” says Marsh.