Paddington in Peru sent the тιтular talking bear on another thrilling, globe-trotting adventure, this time to his native land in South America. For his third live-action film, Paddington travels from London to Peru with the rest of the Brown family to reunite with his aunt Lucy, whom he had last seen in the tear-jerking conclusion to 2017’s Paddington 2. Not only did Paddington and his friends make the travel, but the movie actually filmed in some of these key locations.

As the third film in this beloved franchise, Paddington in Peru ensured its story would be the bear’s most exciting, extraordinary trip yet. Since the film shows its cast traversing the Amazon rain forest and the Peruvian Mountains, creating such an adventure for cinemas was undoubtedly a mᴀssive undertaking. Nevertheless, Paddington in Peru succeeded in capturing many exquisite, real-world environments to make the film as immersive and cinematic as possible. Its filming locations contributed greatly to that.

Filming For Paddington In Peru Took Place In The United Kingdom

It’s Good To Start Paddington’s Adventure From Home

Since Paddington spends his days living with the Brown family, it’s only natural for their third movie to show them starting in the latter’s home in London, England. Filming for Paddington in Peru began in the United Kingdom on July 24 in 2023. There were concerns that the SAG-AFTRA strike going on at the time would delay production, as it did with many other movies that year. Fortunately, filming for Paddington in Peru began as planned, and the crew captured some notable London landmarks on film, including the Shard, the United Kingdom’s distinctly shaped skyscraper.

According to Time Out, Paddington in Peru has scenes featuring exterior sH๏τs of the Brown family home filmed in Chalcot Crescent in Primrose Hill, a district in London. Another scene shows Paddington and the Brown family at the London Paddington Station, a famous travel hub part of the London Underground railway complex that inspired the character’s name. Though the station is depicted on film, Time Out claims Paddington in Peru didn’t film at London Paddington, implying the studio built a set or used CGI instead.

The production even used locations in the UK to film scenes set outside the country. For example, while Paddington’s aunt Lucy lives in a retirement home in Peru, scenes set here were filmed at Berrybushes Farm, Hertfordshire, in the English countryside outside London. The filmmakers also sH๏τ scenes in Black Park, Buckinghamshire, to simulate the Peruvian rain forest.

Paddington In Peru Also Filmed In Colombia

The Filmmakers Went Outside Peru To Present Paddington’s Home

Based on the movie’s тιтle, it may be surprising to hear that Paddington in Peru was partially filmed in Colombia, a country that neighbors Peru. However, the filmmakers decided to conduct shooting in Columbia due to the country’s majestic landscapes, which were needed to bring the Amazon rain forest scenes to life on film. The filmmakers also sH๏τ in the town of Prado for a scene in which Antonio Banderas’s new character, Hunter Cabot, crosses a treacherous rope bridge.

Paddington in Peru shooting in the rain forest is a bold move, as filming in a jungle setting can be challenging when facing the natural elements. Simply using CGI to create it could’ve been easier for the crew and the studio. However, Paddington in Peru shows that the movie’s creators succeeded in capturing the natural beauty of the lush Colombian jungles for Paddington’s big adventure. The authenticity on display makes Paddington’s third movie a distinctive chapter in his cinematic trilogy.

Naturally, Paddington In Peru Filmed In Peru

Paddington 3 Presents Actual Peruvian Mountains And Culture

Unlike the previous two films in the franchise, Paddington in Peru was actually filmed in Peru to bring the protagonist’s homeland to life. The filmmakers specifically sH๏τ in Peru to present the country’s magnificent mountain ranges in the story. In an interview with Empire, director Dougal Wilson discussed how he was influenced by the films of Werner Herzog, particularly epics like Aguirre, The Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, when he chose to present the story in Peru:

“If you’ve seen Aguirre, The Wrath of God, we go up into similar landscapes. And the people are incredibly friendly. Obviously, there are mopeds and mobile phones and all that, but they do still seem to wear traditional-looking clothes in the rural Andes. So I tried to show some Peruvian culture; a Peruvian legend underlies our whole story.”

According to Accesswire, the production team behind Paddington in Peru received aid from the Peru Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PROMPERU) for filming scenes within the country. Shooting for the movie took place in Lima, Cusco, Maras, Machu Picchu, and Huayna Picchu, with PROMPERU helping the film crew receive permits and visas for their work. Since Paddington in Peru should direct audiences’ attention to this country, it’s understandable that its government would use this production to increase tourism.

Specifically, Maras was used to film scenes of Paddington’s hometown, which included the musical moment of Olivia Colman’s Reverend Mother paying homage to The Sound of Music. However, perhaps the most important location for the movie was Machu Picchu, which served as the location for the Inca ruins that feature prominently in the story of the third Paddington movie.

These Locations Were Perfect To Keep The Paddington Series Fresh

The Bigger Scale Makes Sense For The Third Movie

The Paddington franchise has managed to become such an acclaimed and beloved series while still remaining a charming and relatively low-key saga. The previous movies have thrilling and hilarious sequences, but kept the stories relatively small in scale and rely on the sweetness and humor of the characters. However, Paddington in Peru wisely manages to grow the franchise in its scale while still staying true to the type of story fans have come to expect.

The third movie doesn’t move outside of the London setting of the previous entries just for the sake of expanding the adventure. It makes perfect sense that the Paddington franchise would eventually go to Peru. However, it also takes the opportunity to show how these films can be big and bold adventures. As beloved as the other Paddington movies have been, changing up the approach helps avoid things becoming too stale. Paddington is able to stay true to the character fans love, but Paddington in Peru changes the world around him, creating a whole new adventure.

Source: ACCESSWIRE, Empire, Time Out