New Paddington movie Paddington in Peru sees the marmalade-loving bear return home to South America.
Based on the beloved children's novels, the film follows Paddington as he ventures to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy. The movie had its world premiere in Leicester Square, London, on Sunday, November 3 and is now in UK cinemas.
While parts of the third Paddington movie were shot on location in Peru, including at the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, scenes of Paddington 3 were also filmed in the Hertfordshire countryside — and at the new Sky Studios Elstree complex.
A STUDIOCANAL production, the third instalment in the Paddington live-action film series is released in the UK on November 8.
The debut feature from director Dougal Wilson brings Paddington’s story back to Peru, as he and the Browns visit Aunt Lucy at the Home for Retired Bears.
A thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up the mountain peaks of Peru.
So where was Paddington in Peru filmed?
Filming of Paddington in Peru took place in both Peru and neighbouring Colombia in South America. Scenes of Paddington 3 were also shot on location on a farm in the Hertfordshire countryside, and at Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood.
Peru shooting locations were Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, centre of Lima, Cerro San Cristobal, Cusco - Maras Town, Cusco - Maras Fields, Palccoyo Mountain, Abra Malaga, Santa Maria Road, Amparaes, Yanatile Road, Cusco Quillabamba - Sant Maria, and Cusco Quillabamba - Santa Teresa Road.
Here's a more detailed look behind the scenes of the making of Paddington in Peru and where key scenes were filmed, both in the UK and South America.
Paddington in Peru filming locations
Hertfordshire
Sky Studios Elstree
Paddington in Peru was partially filmed at Sky Studios Elstree in late 2023.
The movie will be the first blockbuster shot at the new Hertfordshire studios to premiere in UK cinemas. Wicked: Part One, which arrives in UK cinemas on November 22, will be the second.
Executive producer Tim Wellspring said of Sky Studios Elstree: “It was a lovely place to work and the crew were very happy there.
"For me what really stood out was how much focus was placed on the environmental side with electrical charging points, solar panels, LED lighting and a host of other systems in place that helped us be green.
"I understand that it is the most sustainable studio in the world (and feels like it!) and I felt proud to film Paddington in Peru there.”
While originally emigrating from Peru, and now residing with the Brown family at 32 Windsor Gardens in London, Paddington is no stranger to Hertfordshire in the movie franchise.
The first Paddington film in 2014 shot scenes on a number of stages at the Hertsmere Borough Council-owned Elstree Studios — not far from the new state-of-the-art Sky Studios Elstree site, situated just off the A1 at Borehamwood, used for Paddington in Peru.
Hatfield House, a regular filming location for Netflix series such as Bridgerton and The Crown, and blockbuster movies including Batman, Fast & Furious 9 and Wonder Woman, was also used for Paddington.
Sequel Paddington 2 was also shot on location in Hertfordshire, with the grounds of Knebworth House transformed into a fairground for the scenes where Paddington and the Brown family encounter Hugh Grant's master of disguise Phoenix Buchanan.
The field between St Mary’s Church and the stately home was the set for the fairground sequence. Although set during a summer’s evening, filming actually took place in the winter around the time of a cold snap!
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Where is the Home for Retired Bears in Paddington in Peru?
One of the key sets for the new Paddington movie — and a favourite for many of the cast and crew — is the Home for Retired Bears. This was actually created in the Hertfordshire countryside and not Darkest Peru!
The home, created by Michael Bond as the retirement home for Paddington’s beloved Aunt Lucy, has been fully realised for the first time on screen in Paddington in Peru.
Designed by Andrew Kelly and set decorator Cathy Gosgrove, the Home for Retired Bears was a massive structure built on a private farm in Hertfordshire, according to the movie's UK production notes.
The Watford Observer reported last September of rumoured filming for Paddington 3 in the countryside between Langleybury and Chipperfield.
Hugh Bonneville, who returns as Mr Brown in the new movie, was particularly moved by the setting of the Home for Retired Bears.
The Downton Abbey star said: "I found it strangely moving when I first glimpsed it, as it was being constructed. It's set in this little bowl in the corner of a valley, with lush green vegetation all around. You immediately get a sense of peace.
"I'm being a bit romantic about it, but it is. It's a romantic setting and it is beautiful. I think the design team have absolutely excelled themselves on this and the number of guests who've been on set and you know, tap the walls, and have been astonished that they are not ancient stone.”
The set, which is part South American convent infused with thatching above a tranquil relaxation and recreation area for the bears, is filled with intricate details, all found, made and sourced by Cathy Gosgrove.
"The detail as ever with these sets is astonishing," continued Hugh. "There are pictures of the winning bear croquet team on the wall and a post rack of mail for all the different bears.
"There’s an art class with bears in different poses, like 'The Thinker,' and a semicircle of chairs where the elderly bears do their chair yoga. It's utterly charming."
Andrew Kelly explained: "In the script, initially it was just a Home for Retired Bears where nuns looked after them. We started sketching ideas, imagining an old monastery that had crumbled on one side because the rainforest had started to take over, while the bears built their own side for the retirees.
"There are tree houses up in the trees where the individual bears have their own rooms, bringing a bit of magic with nature taking back."
Emily Mortimer, who takes the reins from Sally Hawkins, who played Mrs Brown in the first two films, was equally enchanted by the set.
"There wasn’t a corner that you looked in that didn’t just take your breath away. The stained glass in The Reverend Mother’s office was in the shape of oranges, and the wooden carved panel that moves across to reveal the map of the Amazon had orange segments too.
"The detail was so loving, with frescoes on the walls and the carved woodwork."
Madeleine Harris, who plays Judy Brown, also found the set to be inviting. “The Home for Retired Bears feels really cozy, it feels really lived in and loved, and we've all said we would happily retire here because it's just beautiful."
Samuel Joslin, who returns as Jonathan Brown, agrees, praising the ambition and detail of the set.
"That was probably one of my favourite sets because it was the biggest, most ambitious one when it came to detail. The communal area had pictures of the bears in various clubs, and the seats and props were so well-crafted. When the audience sees it, they’re going to be amazed."
The Home for Retired Bears is also the home of new character, The Reverend Mother, played by Oscar winner Olivia Colman, who also marvels at the set’s beauty.
Colman, who filmed The Favourite at Hatfield House and also starred in Wonka, said: "It’s so beautiful. They have marmalade classes led by Aunt Lucy, dancing in the common room every Friday, and trips into the jungle for the brave bears.
"The set is surrounded by orchids and lush greenery, with gorgeous, thatched huts for each bear. It was just a field, and I remember seeing the drawings, and I know that set builders and decorators are incredible, but it makes you go ‘whoa!’ when you actually walk onto it.
"The paintings just look like they have been there for centuries, but in reality, they are just weeks old, it's truly amazing what people can do. Also, in every drawer you look in, there's stuff that will never be seen on camera, the art department are just amazing.”
Julie Walters, who returns as Mrs Bird, sums up the incredible set for everyone: “I’d quite like to retire there myself!”
Peru and Colombia
From Peru with Love!
Celebrating the vivid, lush, and colourful world of Peru for the film was an exciting challenge for the production, one that required a blend of on-location shooting and intricate set design.
The filmmakers were dedicated to ensuring that the adventure felt as real and immersive as possible, capturing the spirit of Peru through both practical and creative means.
Rob Silva, executive producer, emphasised the importance of using real landscapes and shooting on location in South America to give the adventure a genuine feel.
"When we set out to make this film, it was important to us that the adventure felt real. We didn't want to have CG backdrops and for it to feel inorganic. We went to Peru, we went to Colombia, and we filmed these natural landscapes, so it really feels like it has scale."
Director Dougal Wilson echoes this sentiment, explaining the hybrid approach they adopted.
"We went over to South America, and I spent almost two months out in Peru and Colombia looking at locations. We shot a lot in Peru, in the Andes, in and around the Vilcabamba, and also the Machu Picchu area.
"It was great to continue the Paddington tradition of being a very British production, but we combined that with environments and exterior locations that we shot in South America.”
“We went to Peru for its extraordinary culture, scenic villages and of course Machu Picchu,” explained John Sorapure, who led the team filming out in Peru and Colombia.
“The ‘Sugar Loaf’ landscapes here are unique and offered a fantastic setting for the denouement of the film. Although obviously recognisable, we didn't want the ruins at Machu Picchu to be too specific, so shot there in a way that was a little ambiguous about the site, while keeping the majesty and atmosphere of the place.
"It’s not hard to come back with great footage because every direction you point the camera is a priceless view.
"Colombia offered us the jungle wilderness we were after with fast flowing rivers and rapids. It’s a vast country, rugged and mountainous, with such diversity of jungle.
"The plant and insect kingdoms seem to rule and consequently both grow to be enormous, so it was easy to feel Paddington and the Brown family could become lost and out of their depth out there.”
Filming in Peru and Colombia was not without its challenges though. The crew had to cover vast distances in convoys of 4-wheel drive vehicles because the roads were remote, and often damaged by heavy rainfall.
“We used drones extensively to help shoot vistas that otherwise would have taken hours to access on foot and built rafts to float our camera rigs down rivers over rapids,” said 2nd Unit director John Sorapure.
“Despite the extreme heat and encountering several scary bugs, it was a fantastic adventure and being so welcomed by our respective hosts in these amazing, beautiful countries made it an unforgettable experience.
"I was so pleased to have a local Peruvian camera team with us as they were great collaborators and were used to the rough terrain and high altitude.”
Shooting 'Peru' scenes back in England
'Woodland outside London'
In addition to the extensive location shoots in South America, a lot of Paddington in Peru was shot in the UK — including scenes supposedly in Peru.
It was production designer Andrew Kelly’s job to masterfully recreate the Peruvian environment.
Emily Mortimer marvels at the ingenuity involved. "Dougal, I think, is just one of the most extraordinary filmmakers I've ever worked with. With Andrew he's done something so cool with using the constraints he had and having to recreate a rainforest in the woods outside London.
"I swoon every time I walked onto the sets and see how he's managed to create some kind of magic. And the theatricality of it, there is no moment which isn't going to be entertaining.”
"I have to take off my hat to the art department of this movie,” added Antonio Banderas. “The work that they have done is incredible.
"I can tell you that because I've been there. I've been in Peru and when I saw what they were doing here, I couldn't believe it. How close it was and how they were transforming British forests into Peru."
Andrew Kelly went on extensive research trips to Lima and Cusco in Peru, and then travelled around the Colombian jungles to get as much reference as possible.
“We went to lots of museums and bought every book we could possibly buy.
"We also ended up sending a lot of our department to Peru to get variations of props and set dressing and fabrics that we could get from out there and bring them over to the UK.”
The sequence when the Brown family and Paddington first meet Antonio Banderas’ dashing riverboat captain Hunter Cabot on the docks was filmed entirely in the UK.
The art department recreated an entire Peruvian market and dockside with over 150 Peruvian extras.
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