Daily Archives: November 7, 2024

Paddington 3 Filming locations: Where were the movies shot?

After two adventures in his adopted hometown of London, Paddington is heading, new passport in paw, for his native corner of South America in Paddington in Peru. The threequel takes a leaf out of Werner Herzog’s book by sending the loveable spectacled bear and the whole Brown family on a hair-raising caper through Amazonian jungles and Inca ruins. Making the film, however, did not involve any madness in the jungle or the hauling of steamboats up hillsides a la Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre: the Wrath of God. Instead, as Paddington producer Rosie Alison explains, the movie used a combination of real South American locations and filming spots much closer to Windsor Gardens in a moviemaking gambit as clever as Mrs Bird and as innovative as one of Jonathan Brown’s bedroom inventions. ‘When people see the film they’ll feel like they’ve been on an amazing holiday,’ says the producer. Read on to peak at the movie’s road (and river) map.Paddington in Peru filming locations

Photograph: StudioCanalMaras, Peru

1. Maras, Peru: Paddington’s hometown
After initial plans to take the whole cast out to Peru, Rosie Alison, director Dougal Wilson and the production team settled on a new approach. ‘We developed what we called his “postage stamp” technique,’ says Alison, ‘where we’d film the Browns within a little bit of forest in Hertfordshire and then put that within a bigger landscape that really exists in South America.’ The Peruvian town was a key backdrop for Paddington’s arrival in his homeland, while Olivia Colman’s singing Sound of Music moment is set in the picturesque hillsides nearby. ‘We were not going to make Paddington in Peru without Peru in it.’

Photograph: ShutterstockMachu Picchu, Peru

2. Machu Picchu, Peru: In the footsteps of Tintin
Like one of the movie’s key inspirations, Hergé’s Tintin adventure ‘Prisoners of the Sun’, Inca ruins feature strongly in the story – and the most famous of the lot backdrops one helter-skelter sequence. ‘Our lost Inca ruin was filmed at Machu Picchu, although it’s not Machu Picchu in the film,’ says Alison. ‘Dougal spent two months recceing and went right into Amazonia and to Machu Picchu twice.’ 

Photograph: Studiocanal

3. Huayna Picchu, Peru: A nod to ‘Aguirre’
The other ‘Picchu’, Huayna Picchu, a soaring peak that rises above the Lost City of the Incas, is another Peruvian icon to feature in Paddington in Peru. Here, director Dougal Wilson and his team followed in Werner Herzog’s footsteps. ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God was an inspiration,’ says Alison, ‘the opening shot of this troop of people climbing down Huayna Picchu is where we filmed as well. We have a little homage to the conquistador craziness.’

Photograph: StudioCanal

4. Prado, Colombia: the Indiana Jones-style rope bridge 
Peru’s neighbour, Colombia, was also used widely for background photography. One key location there was Prado, a small town in the centre of the country. ‘That’s where you see Antonio chopping a rope bridge,’ says Alison.

Photograph: StudioCanal

5. Chilcot Crescent, London: Paddington and the Browns’ home
Primrose Hill’s picturebox crescent is back for the third film – albeit briefly. ‘We did one day there to do the exteriors and we did the interiors in the studio,’ says Alison. ‘I keep reading articles about the [residents] complaining. To be honest, I think plenty of them really like it, but some don’t and it’s always thus when you’re filming.’ 

Photograph: Studiocanal

6. Berrybushes Farm, Hertfordshire: The Peruvian bears’ home in the English Countryside
Paddington in Peru’s secret weapon is a patch of farmland just off the M25 northwest of London. ‘We had a sign as you arrived saying “Welcome to Peru”,’ says Alison of the location where the cast filmed the Peruvian scenes. ‘We built The Home For Retired Bears in inside a wood augmented with actual rainforest trees.’ Filming took place at Berrybushes in 2023. ‘The market town with the boat and the river was at Berrybushes as well, and the Inca ruin too.’
7. Black Park, Buckinghamshire: From Harry Potter to Peruvian rainforests
Another of the film’s UK locations, nearby Black Park, already has a stack of IMDb credits to its name. ‘It gets used for lots of films: Harry Potter, Star Wars,’ says Alison. ‘[We filmed] some more rainforest [scenes] there. It’s got some great trees where you’re not sure where you are. 

Photograph: inProgressImaging / Shutterstock.com

8. The Shard, London: Mr Brown’s Office
London is more of a bystander in Paddington 3, but one city landmark does feature. ‘We have a couple of terrific scenes in Henry Brown’s office in the Shard,’ says Alison. Those interior scenes – and the life-sized doll’s house used in Paddington 1 and 2 – were filmed at Sky Studios Elstree. 

Photograph: StudiocanalPaddington in Peru pop-up shop in Paddington Station, London

Does Paddington Station feature in the new movie?
No. The station that gave Paddington his name features strongly in Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017) but sits this one. 

Image: Paddington 2

Where were Paddington 1 and 2 filmed?
The first two movies were filmed mostly in west london, with Paddington Station, Marylebone Station, Maida Vale tube station, Portobello Road, Little Venice, Primrose Hill and the Natural History Museum all key locations, along with the Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Reform Club in Pall Mall. Locations outside of London include Hatfield House, Somerset’s Shepton Mallet Prison and Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol Museum. 
A Paddington pop-up shop has just opened in a major London train station.
A Paddington statue trail has popped up across the UK: full list of locations.

Robert Pattinson’s new movie delayed again

Robert Pattinson’s new movie with Parasite director Bong Joon-ho has been delayed yet again.Science-fiction film Mickey 17 was set to come out at the end of January, but it will now release on April 18 in the US.The UK release date will likely be pushed back as well, although this has not been confirmed yet.Warner Bros.Related: Best movie box sets to buyThe film is set in a future where cloning is commonplace, and after a person dies, a new body with all memories intact is created to carry on with their work.Things get complicated when there ends up being two copies of Pattinson’s Mickey at the same time, and they start to clash.Variety reports that Warner Bros decided to make the move after Michael, the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, was moved from April 18 to October 3.A Warner Bros spokesperson told the publication: “When the April 18 date became available, we quickly moved to secure it for Mickey 17. We’re thrilled with the new date, and very happy the film will be available to audiences in IMAX.”With January 31 now available with a full IMAX footprint, we are also very happy to have Companion releasing on this new date.”Warner Bros.Related: Robert Pattinson’s horror remake gets exciting update Companion is a psychological thriller starring Yellowjackets and Heretic’s Sophie Thatcher and The Boys and Scream 5’s Jack Quaid. It was originally set for January 10, so it hasn’t been pushed back very far.In addition to Pattinson, Mickey 17 also stars Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.Earlier this month, Bong said Warner Bros allowed him to have final cut for the film, telling Empire: “The studio respected by final cut rights.”Of course, during the editing process there are many opinions and many discussions that happen. But this film is my cut, and I’m very happy about it. It was a long process, but it was always smooth and respectful.”November 2024 gift ideas and dealsJoe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small.
A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe’s main interest is in video gaming. Although particularly a PlayStation gamer, he plays across Xbox, Nintendo and PC/Steam Deck, and likes to keep tabs on many games he’s not got the time to play.
Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish (which you really should do).

Jesse Eisenberg Picks Up Indie Star Award at American Film Festival, Talks ‘A Real Pain’: ‘I Wanted to Make an American Indie Film, but in Poland’

Jesse Eisenberg picked up the Indie Star Award at Poland’s American Film Festival and met with the local audience to talk about sophomore directorial effort “A Real Pain.”
“Two years ago, I was finishing the script. You start the very embarrassing process of begging producers to give you money to make it. When they asked me how I’d describe the movie, I told them the same thing: ‘I want to make an American indie film, but in Poland,’” he said.

“I grew up doing American independent films and loving American independent films, but I didn’t want to make another version of this intimate American ‘buddy movie.’ What I was trying to tell these financiers was that there hasn’t been a movie like this, about these two guys exploring their past, but set against the backdrop of this amazing, beautiful country. I cannot think of a better audience and a better film festival to play this movie.”

Related Stories

In “A Real Pain,” starring Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy and Daniel Oreskes, two cousins head to Poland to explore their family’s roots and celebrate their late grandmother.

Popular on Variety

According to festival director Urszula Śniegowska, Eisenberg’s “talent and dedication have made an indelible mark on the film industry and his work continues to resonate and inspire across generations.”

She added: “His career has been one of range, depth and fearless exploration of characters. We fell in love with him early, when he starred in ‘The Squid and the Whale,’ establishing himself as an actor capable of portraying complex, thoughtful and sometimes troubled individuals.”

Roles in “Adventureland,” “Zombieland” and “The Social Network,” where he played Mark Zuckerberg, followed. “But it’s his dedication to independent cinema that truly sets him apart,” she stated, mentioning “Night Moves,” “The Art of Self-Defense” or “Sasquatch Sunset,” which “showcase his ability to dive deep into characters that live on the fringes of society and confront audiences with thought-provoking narratives. No wonder fellow actor Vanessa Redgrave praised Jesse Eisenberg for his ‘inquiring mind.’”

“Whether on screen or behind the camera, Jesse’s work reflects a truth that’s sometimes uncomfortable, often hilarious and always deeply affecting,” said Śniegowska.

Previously, the Indie Star Award was given to John Waters, Jerry Schatzberg, Todd Solondz or “Aftersun” producer Adele Romanski.

During a Q&A moderated by Variety, Eisenberg – who decided to apply for Polish citizenship – opened up about shooting “A Real Pain” in Poland and his family history.

“My grandfather was born in the U.S., but his cousins and uncles lived in [Polish town] Krasnystaw and they all died in horrible ways. He never told my father about it. I am a third-generation American Jew, I don’t know anything about history, but I became obsessed with it. Now, I have Polish citizenship,” he said.

“My hope with this movie is that everyone from any country is watching it, thinking: ‘I want to do the same thing. Why have I never asked my parents where they’re from, or where our name comes from?’ I hear this a lot from people.”

Originally, he was working on a story set in Mongolia – “The characters were going to live in yurts and it was pretty funny” – but a certain online ad changed it all.

“It said: ‘Auschwitz tours – with lunch.’ It’s such a weird idea, this tourism of tragedy. When I saw that, I threw out my Mongolia script and looked at the photos from my first visit to Poland in 2008. I realized this was the story.”

His characters aren’t always able to emotionally connect with what they’re witnessing. Neither was he.

“I remember feeling: ‘There’s nothing I can do to make myself connected to this trauma.’ What am I supposed to do? Cut my arm? There’s nothing you can do to feel what people felt in [concentration camp] Majdanek. I was standing in front of my family’s house, not having any kind of catharsis. I didn’t belong there anymore. I wanted them to have the same feeling.”

Eisenberg praised his Polish colleagues, led by producer Ewa Puszczyńska, commenting: “Emma Stone, who’s one of our producers, kept saying: ‘This is the most incredible crew.’ And she’s been on the greatest sets in the world.”

He’ll stick to personal stories in the future. “Everything I write is personal. My next movie is about musical theater in New Jersey, because it was something I liked. I’m always looking for anything in my life that happened to me that could be a story.”

He will also continue to blend comedy and tragedy.

“My background is in theater and I’ve been writing plays for 20 years. They are all like this, people just didn’t like them as much,” he said with a laugh. “I’m going to do that forever.”

‘One of the best animated films ever made’ is now streaming for free – and it’s not a Disney movie

Netflix subscribers are in for a treat as one of the most acclaimed animated films of recent years has just dropped on the platform at no additional cost. And it’s not your typical Disney offering. Released a decade ago, this gem originates from Ireland, not the glitzy studios of Hollywood. Animated by Cartoon Saloon, which…