Through word of mouth on movie Twitter (RIP), many moviegoers were pissed off at Paddington and were ready when Paddington 2 opened, and now they’re excited about the much-delayed American release Paddington in Peru. So why is it so hard for American fans to get their paws on it Paddington goods?
The first two films, both directed by Paul King, adapted children’s lit classic stories by English author Michael Bond about a lost bear from “darkest Peru” who has cute adventures in London. It sounds like hyperbole to call them two the greatest films ever made, but Paddington 2 holds the title of the best reviewed film at Rotten Tomatoes; he even dethroned A citizen of Kane. It’s only dropped to 99% thanks to a bad review that was dismissed as a contradiction—deserving the harshest look from Paddington himself.
Well, yes, it’s that serious. Since the release of those two films, fans have embraced King’s films as modern classics. Those who raise a small brood of cinema nerds have had children growing up on the franchise for a decade, while that other iconic British bear in the Mouse House – director AA Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh – has struggled with cinematic influence outside of merchandising. As Paddington became a big part of the pop culture zeitgeist, Disney took notice and released a live-action hybrid Christopher Robin film after an attempt at an animated feature-length animated Winnie the Pooh movie broken. (Outside of Disney, the character is now ready for thrilling murders thanks to the public domain Blood and honey horror series).
But as we mentioned, Pooh remains visible because of sales; he and his friends are everywhere even if the IP movies and shows have mixed results with longevity. Paddington, meanwhile, achieved cult status thanks to the King films’ ability to tap into the timeless appeal of found-family themes and slapstick whimsy. It can make even the toughest man cry, as seen in The unbearable weight of enormous talent, meta film starring Nicolas Cage as himself who is hired to hang out with Pedro Pascal, whose crime lord character is the actor’s biggest fan. Paddington 2 gets an unforgettable moment on screen that brings the two characters together.
With all the praise and kudos for why it’s still so hard for American fans to find a decent Paddington Bear stuffed animal or any really good merchandise, three movies deep?
We can’t help but wonder if Paddington is guarded by a door. Of course, there are bear versions on Amazon, but they are mostly variant of the book and very rarely from movie. If you’re looking for an almost 1:1 huggable bear, you’ll have to visit the official Paddington store at Paddington Station in London. And it’s been that way at least since then Paddington 2 when I searched for it as a grown-up millennial toy collector without kids. The one I managed in 2018… well, it looks like a basic eight inch bear with a flimsy felt hat and coat, similar to these examples online:
Despite Nickelodeon 2020 The Adventures of Paddington animated series, the third reboot of the ’70s and ’90s shows, Paddington continued to grow mostly by word of mouth since there was no merchandise to push for visibility. The Nickelodeon series had a limited run of toys that evaporated and good luck finding the seasons on DVD. That streak coincided with a surge in popularity for another lockout favorite: Bluey. In fact, my husband and I took the plunge Bluey when director Duncan Jones recommended it on Twitter; then we included our other film nerd friends in the animated series Ludo Studio letting them know it has energy and heart Paddington. It kept us from losing our minds at home during the pandemic, and if not Paddington I’m not sure we would live in an era Bluey right now. The way has dawned Bluey‘s takeover—which, by the way, includes tons of merchandise and accessories for all ages. And yet for Paddington? You will have to work really hard to find something good.
Now that I have a child, I’m under even more pressure to find something good. I prepared myself; I bought a paperback Paddington Rattle 2021 from Barnes and Noble—but how can it be 2025 and still be one of the few toys you can find? It’s my baby’s favorite, but to have Paddington under the Christmas tree for her first holiday, I had to order from Paddington shop online and thought if I buy it Paddington in Peru editions would be the best. They weren’t what I was hoping for, partly because they were so small for the price (and ugh, the cost of UK postage was rough). To use another pop-culture example for a character originating outside the US, Totoro stuffed animals are also hard to find, and retailers selling official Studio Ghibli ones charge exorbitant prices. But at least they are accurate to their animated appearance, aside from being huge.
Paddington is, understandably, also a popular commodity in the UK, to the point that counterfeiters have taken notice. The Independent reported on a recent operation in which “nearly 2,000” items were seized near where the films were shot. You can find complaints from all over Reddit about how hard it is to track down the perfect Paddington Bear – indeed it seems they are only available in London.
The best I could do for this Christmas was an internationally shipped bear and some pieces from H&M Paddington Bear children’s clothing collection. Baby Gap also released a line of children’s clothing, but it was first available in the UK and far more expensive; here’s what you can get in the country. Both adorable drops feature the classic children’s book Paddington.
It’s scary for kids, but it’s even funnier for adults. If you have the money, you can get a coat (for about $600) or some shirts Rowing jackets. The company also had some cool hats, including one that read “Please watch this bear. Thank you”, but it is sold out. Out of Print has some t-shirts, and the Oodie releases cozy oversized Paddington sweaters with blankets— but then again, that’s just the book version of Paddington.
Fortunately, streaming reveals wonders Paddington to a wider audience; movies consistently top the charts on Netflix and Disney+. Perhaps the current stall in trade can be traced back to the films’ complicated journey through various US distributors: Studio Canal originally had a deal with the Weinstein Company, but pulled out and then Paddington 2 released by Warner Bros. The third film, directed by Dougal Wilson, is a Sony Pictures release.
If the excitement can be drummed Paddington in Perudemand might change with upcoming movies. Paddington 4 is under construction ahead of the character’s 70th anniversary (bring back Paul King) and there better be much better merchandise widely available by then.
Paddington in Peru opens on February 14.
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