Paddington In Peru: Sony Takes Domestic & Key Offshore To Studiocanal & Heyday Threequel

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures has snapped up U.S., Canada and key international for Studiocanal and Heyday Films’ threequel Paddington in Peru.

Sony, which has a long history with live-action kids movies, i.e., Lyle Lyle Crocodile and Goosebumps, always wanted in on this franchise, and now they’ve notched it. When the North American rights for Paddington 2 came up in a $30 million-plus auction, Sony was one of the bidders with Warner Bros, though that sequel ultimately went to Heyday’s Harry Potter studio. Through two movies worldwide, Paddington has reaped over a half-billion at the box office with the franchise counting such BAFTA nominations as Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Deadline first told you that the threequel was in the works. Paddington in Peru sees the bear embark on a new adventure that will take him from Windsor Gardens to Peru in the latest installment of the Paddington franchise.

Studiocanal is fully backing the movie and will release Paddington in Peru in the UK, France, Germany, Benelux, Australia/New Zealand and Poland. Sony Pictures holds rights for the rest of the world, excluding Russia, China and Japan. This deal was in the works pre-Cannes but was finalized this week.

Dougal Wilson is directing off a story by Paddington 1 & 2 collaborators Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton with the screenplay by Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont. The threequel is being produced by Heyman and Rosie Alison with Rob Silva as co-producer. Paul King, Tim Wellspring, Jeffrey Clifford, Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern and Dan MacRae are EPs.

Virginia Longmuir, EVP of Business Affairs and Joe Matukewicz, President of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio. Aska Yamaguchi, Head of U.S. and Digital Sales, Anne Chérel, EVP global sales and distribution, and Sophie Leuthreau, Head of Legal and Business Affairs, negotiated the deal for Studiocanal.