Paddington 3 has finally brought Paddington and the Brown family back to our screens after a seven-year wait, but there have been some changes.
We knew since the threequel was officially announced in June 2022 that Paul King – director of the first two movies – wouldn't be back, with Dougal Wilson taking over. (King stayed on as an executive producer and provided the story.)
However, Paddington fans were in for another shock when the cast was confirmed in June 2023, revealing that Sally Hawkins wouldn't be back as Mrs Brown with Emily Mortimer taking over the role.
With Paddington in Peru now out in UK cinemas, you might be wondering why Hawkins stepped away from the role, so we're here to help.
Why isn't Sally Hawkins in Paddington 3?
Fittingly for such a wholesome franchise, there's no controversy or mystery behind Sally Hawkins' exit from the series – she just felt it was time.
"For me it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can't get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special," Hawkins said in a statement when her exit was announced.
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"She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. However, I am, and will always be, in love with Paddington's world. I already greatly miss my on- and off-screen family.
"The experience of making the first two films has truly been some of the best and most creative times I have had in the world of film. They both gave me so much joy. I will forever hold them so very close to my heart indeed."
Since then, Hawkins hasn't expanded on any specific reason for why she felt it was time to step away. But she doesn't tend to do many interviews anyway, so it's not a surprise that we haven't heard anything more from her.
Hugh Bonneville – who plays Mr Brown, but we're sure we didn't need to tell you that – has reassured fans that there's nothing dark to be revealed in the movie.
"We're not pretending it's anything other than a straight swap. There has not been a hideous divorce or anything. Emily just seemed like a perfect fit," he explained in October 2024.
In a separate interview with Digital Spy, Bonneville praised Mortimer's take on Mrs Brown in the new movie. "Goodness me, talk about being lucky enough to work with both Sally Hawkins and now Emily as Mrs Brown," he said.
"They're both genius actors and I think with Emily, there's this huge emotional heart towards the end of the film where I think the snuffles will happen as they did in Paddington 2, which is just Emily through and through."
It was Bonneville who suggested Mortimer for the role, something she described as "so flattering" even if it did seem like a daunting prospect to take over from Hawkins, understandably.
"It was a nerve-racking proposition in lots of ways, because it was stepping into this world and character and everything. It felt like a big responsibility. But on the other hand, to say no – not just to Hugh, but to Paddington – would be so churlish," Mortimer said.
"It's thrilling. An honour. You can't say no to Paddington. If he turned malevolent, he could really do some damage. He's a leader of men. You can't turn him down."
There was another cast change for the third movie made shortly after filming started. Rachel Zegler was unable to join the movie as planned due to the strikes and Carla Tous took over in her place.
Tous plays Gina Cabot, the daughter of Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), and she told Digital Spy that it was "surreal" to be asked.
"It's been surreal since the first day that I got the call. And this is massive. It's nothing compared to anything that I've done in Spain, so it's just a blessing to be here, to be truthful," she reflected.
Paddington in Peru is out now in UK cinemas and is released in US cinemas on January 17, 2025.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
