Armando Iannucci, winning creator of Emmy from the “Veep” series, has been confirmed as the writer of the fourth film in the Paddington franchise. The Scot will work alongside Simon Blackwell, his long-time partner who has also achieved Emmy awards and an Oscar nomination. Studiocanal, the studio responsible for production, is already studying the return of Dougal Wilson as director, who directed the recently released “Paddington at Peru”.
Roteiristas renowned in British comedy
Iannucci brings an impressive resume of satirical humor projects. Além co-created “Veep” and “The Thick of It”, the British director and writer created the series “Avenue 5” for HBO. In cinema, he co-wrote and directed “In the Loop”, nominated for Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2010, and “A Morte de Stalin”. Seu’s work also includes the creation of the iconic Alan Partridge character and collaborations on “The Day Today”.
Simon Blackwell complements the duo with experience in dark comedy series. Blackwell created “Breeders” and the sitcom “Back”, in addition to co-writing “In the Loop” and “A História Pessoal de David Copperfield”, Iannucci’s last feature film which featured the voice of Ben Whishaw, the original Paddington.
Franchise Success Trajetória
Paddington’s three previous films have grossed more than $800 million in combined worldwide box office. “Paddington” (2014) and “Paddington 2” (2017) were directed by Paul King, who also wrote and co-wrote respectively. Wilson took over the direction of the third film, “Paddington no Peru” (2024), which was scripted by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont.
Paddington’s series of film productions began around 20 years ago with the production company Rosie Alison, which continues to lead Heyday Films as producer of the films. The original adaptation combined real actors with visual effects to bring the character of Michael Bond to the big screen.
Desafio to maintain character essence
Iannucci and Blackwell face the challenge of preserving the unique balance that defines Paddington. The bear in the brown cardigan’s impeccable kindness, coupled with his lovable tendency to accidentally get into trouble, were central elements in the previous critical success.
“Paddington 2” achieved cinematic masterpiece status, maintaining for a period Rotten Tomatoes’s highest rating among all films on the platform. Rosie Alison stated in an interview that Dougal Wilson was chosen as director because he was “Paddingtonian”, embodying the character’s positive values.
Perspectivas for the new project
The fourth film was officially announced in early 2026. At CinemaCon, Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal and Diretora of Conteúdo of Canal+, revealed that the project was in development and that “world-renowned comedy writers” had been hired. The confirmation of Iannucci and Blackwell responds to this promise with recognized names in the television and film industry.
The choice represents a significant shift in the series’ creative approach. Paul King, who directed the first two films and collaborated in the writing, leaves the place to new creators. Wilson, however, remains in charge of direction, suggesting that the production team seeks to maintain the visual quality established in “Paddington no Peru”.
Confirmação involvement of Wilson still under negotiation
Embora Iannucci and Blackwell have their hiring confirmed, Dougal Wilson’s return as director is still under negotiation. Variety learned that the award-winning director of commercials and music videos is involved in talks with Studiocanal to direct the bear’s next adventure.
- Armando Iannucci and Simon Blackwell will write the script
- Dougal Wilson in talks to return in direction
- Rosie Alison continues as producer for Heyday Films
- Studiocanal responsible for production and distribution
- Sequência expected after grossing US$800 million in the previous three films