Paddington 2 confirmed: Paul King returns to write and direct sequel

Paddington writer-and-director Paul King is poised to bring us more adorable bear antics ahead of the upcoming sequel, according to Deadline. Simon Farnaby, who played the character of Barry in the first film is also confirmed to be returning. The Bill, Yonderland and Horrible Bosses actor is set to both star and develop the story alongside King.

Producer David Heyman is also staying put, which is not all that surprising given that the first instalment made an impressive $260 million (£170m) at the box office, off the back of a relatively modest budget, particularly for a part-animated film, of $55 million.

The huge success StudioCanal's Paddington earned itself was somewhat unexpected, mainly due to its rocky production. The King's Speech star Colin Firth had been linked to the titular main character for many months before he pulled out of the project just as they were gearing up to start filming.

Cloud Atlas actor Ben Whishaw swiftly stepped in as a voice replacement for the bear, but fans remained sceptical until the film's release. Even Whishaw himself had some doubts over the takeover, revealing to the Marie Claire magazine last year: "I said no the first time. I just thought, I'm not very good at doing voices, I can't do it and I don't think I'll be right for it."

But regardless of his initial reluctance, the 35-year-old eventually accepted and his sweet performance of the lovable bear went down well with both critics and cinema-goers. There's no official word as to whether Whishaw will be reprising his role for the follow-up movie, but chances are if the offer is right, he will. He can currently be seen in cinemas in the latest James Bond instalment, Spectre and Yorgos Lanthimos dystopian romcom The Lobster. His next picture In The Heart Of The Sea, co-starring Cillian Murphy and Chris Hemsworth opens Boxing Day 2015.

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