FILM · 2014 · UK
Paddington
30 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (30)
- #001
The character of Paddington Bear originated from a lone teddy bear that author Michael Bond spotted on a shelf in a shop near Paddington Station in London on Christmas Eve 1956. Bond bought it for his wife and was inspired to write a story. The idea of a lone bear at Paddington Station was influenced by old newsreels showing trainloads of children evacuated from London during World War II, leaving with labels around their necks and carrying small suitcases.
- #002
Nicole Kidman learned knife throwing and spinning for the role of Millicent. During filming, she said the producers advised her to reduce her knife-throwing tricks because they were too intense for a children's film. As a result, the scenes showcasing her skills were ultimately cut from the film.
- #003
Nicole Kidman's childhood wish was to live in Paddington Bear's house. She says that joining this film was the closest she came to making that happen.
- #004
Michael Bond initially imagined that Paddington came from the darkest regions of Africa, a place in Europe's nineteenth- and twentieth-century cultural imagination from which all foreign and mysterious things originated. When his editor pointed out that bears had not lived in Africa since Roman times, he researched and discovered that bears are native to Peru, which led him to change Paddington's origin to darkest Peru.
- #005
Initially, author Michael Bond was nervous about the project to turn his character into a live-action film. However, after seeing half a minute of test footage, he was convinced.
- #006
Nicole Kidman's manager initially considered turning down the role of Millicent before offering it to Kidman. The manager mentioned the offer casually, assuming Kidman would immediately refuse. He was surprised when she responded to the question with enthusiasm; as a fan of Michael Bond's books who grew up with them, she was eager to join the film.
- #007
About seventeen minutes in, the man who raises a glass to Paddington as he passes by in a taxi at the cafe is the author of the original Paddington stories.
- #008
Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville improvised much of the dialogue between their characters.
- #009
This film featured Paddington's iconic blue duffle coat and red Peruvian hat. However, producer David Heyman rejected the red Wellington boots because they were not part of the character's original design; they had been added over the years by toy factories so that real-life Paddington teddy bears could stand on their feet.
- #010
Many cast and crew members said that writer and director Paul King reminded them very much of Paddington Bear in his attitude, his kindness and the way he solved problems.
- #011
Sally Hawkins plays a children's book illustrator. In real life, both of Hawkins's parents are authors and illustrators of children's books.
- #012
Making Paddington smile turned out to be a difficult task for the visual effects team. Adding a human smile and the natural form of a snout to him challenged the photorealistic look the team was aiming for. Instead, they focused on adding sweetness to his natural gaze and a happy expression in his eyes.
- #013
Sally Hawkins suffered a concussion during a night shoot when she collided with a crane on her way to the set. She sustained a significant cut on her head, which was covered with her hat. Despite her injury, she continued working on location and did not see a doctor until the location work was completed.
- #014
Dame Emma Thompson polished the screenplay without appearing in the credits. She received a general "thank you" in the final title sequence.
- #015
In this film, Paddington is entirely CGI. However, a stick with a puppet version of Paddington's face was used on set, and several of Paddington's teddy bears decorated the environment.
- #016
Although Paddington train station was used for interior shots, the exterior shot of "Paddington" station is Marylebone, a few miles down the road. It was probably chosen because it is more aesthetically pleasing.
- #017
Although Nicole Kidman is an avid animal lover, she took taxidermy lessons to prepare for this role.
- #018
While waiting at Paddington train station, Paddington sits in front of the Lost Property shop. The sign is faulty and the "Found" light is not on. When Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) comes back to talk to him, the "Found" light is on.
- #019
Ben Whishaw was hired to voice Paddington five months before the world premiere.
- #020
Colin Firth was initially cast as the voice of Paddington. In June 2014, however, Firth and writer-director Paul King issued a joint statement saying that Firth would be leaving, as they could no longer see him in the role.
- #021
Paddington Bear comes from "darkest Peru," which could mean he is a spectacled bear, the only surviving bear species native to South America. Most editions of the Paddington books show him resembling this species. In this film, however, Paddington's species is identified as a fictional one, Ursa marmaladus ("marmalade bear").
- #022
Nicole Kidman said she took part in this film because she was excited to be part of the project. She also said that experiencing a particular screening was one of the most important moments of her career, because her daughter and mother enjoyed the film and laughed throughout.
- #023
A real bathtub was used in the scene where the Browns' house is flooded. The sequence, which required the bathtub to be sent down the stairs several times, took several weeks to complete.
- #024
When Colin Firth was cast to provide Paddington's voice, he recorded his dialogue wearing a helmet fitted with a small GoPro sports camera so that the animators could reference his facial expressions. When Ben Whishaw was cast in his place, he had to re-record the voice and provide facial expressions. This meant the animators had to redo the animation for every scene in which Paddington speaks.
- #025
Shortly before the premiere, Michael Bond worried about the film's quality before seeing it: "Before I got a certain anxiety, I used to lie awake worrying, thinking: 'I've let Paddington down.' Letting other people take control of your character was like letting your child go in someone else's car. You hope for the best but you prepare for the worst." In the end, he was very pleased with the final film.
- #026
Nicole Kidman did some of her own stunts for this film. On her public Facebook profile, she shared a photo from the first day of shooting in which she hangs upside down from wires set several meters above the ground. This wire drop from the ceiling resembles what her ex-husband Tom Cruise did in Mission: Impossible (1996). A little later in the film (1:19:45), a nod to the Mission: Impossible opening theme can also be heard.
- #027
No actors attended the red-carpet premiere in China, but Prince William of Wales attended to promote the British film in the Chinese market.
- #028
To promote this film and the book series, Nicole Kidman hosted a Storytime Event at a local Barnes & Noble store, where she read Michael Bond's classic short stories. About a hundred invitees lined up an hour early to attend the event.
- #029
Costume designer Lindy Hemming decided to dress the characters Mary Brown and Jonathan Brown in red to show their warm natures and to represent their bond with Paddington, who wears a red hat. The family's other two characters, meanwhile, wear blue and gray, representing their distance from him.
- #030
The scene in which Hugh Bonneville dresses as a chambermaid led the BBFC to give the film a PG rating, because they believed it reflected sexual tension between Mr. Brown and the security guard.
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