Paddington 3 star Hugh Bonneville addresses Mary Brown's recasting: "She just slotted in gloriously"

When it was announced back in June 2023 that Sally Hawkins wouldn't be returning as Mrs. Brown in upcoming sequel Paddington in Peru, fans of the franchise took to social media to share their disappointment. According to Mr. Brown actor Hugh Bonneville, though, they really needn't worry about the recasting, which sees Emily Mortimer step in.

"When I heard that Sally wasn't going to do the film, the first face that popped into my head was Emily's," the Downton Abbey star tells Total Film in our final issue out on Thursday, October 10, which features Gladiator 2 on the cover. "I thought she had all the gorgeous qualities you expect from the character. Obviously she's a totally different actress [from Sally], but I think within four seconds you've forgotten there's a new Mrs. Brown," he concludes, describing the switch as seamless. "She just slotted in gloriously and we all got on brilliantly as a family unit again."

Mortimer, who's best known for her work in The Newsroom, Shutter Island, and Mary Poppins Returns, isn't the only fresh face entering the fray in the third film, either. Antonia Banderas has joined the series as boatman Hunter Cabot, while Olivia Colman plays Reverend Mother.

Like Bonneville, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, and Ben Whishaw are reprising their roles as Mr. Gruber, Mrs. Bird, and Paddington (who you can see in the exclusive image above) respectively. Imelda Staunton, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin are also back.

Little is known in the way of plot specifics just yet, but we do know that Paddington 3 will see the titular, marmalade-loving bear and the Brown family travel to Peru to pay a visit to the Aunt Lucy. There's a big snag, though: Aunt Lucy set off for the Amazon rainforest a few weeks' back and hasn't been seen by anyone at the Home for Retired Bears since. With that, it's up to Paddington and the Browns to venture into the wilderness to find her and bring her back safely.

Paddington in Peru is released on November 8 in the UK, and January 17 in the US. You can read more about it, and a whole lot else besides in the final issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, October 10.

Check out the covers below:

Subscribers have the exclusive text-free cover on the way to them right now, with the issue then hitting shops and digital newsstands on Thursday October 10.