DB7

Paddington Bear heads to Hollywood
Friday, 14 Sep 2007 11:38
A live-action film version of Michael Bond's classic Paddington Bear stories is to be made by the producer of the Harry Potter films.

David Heyman will produce the film through his Heyday Films outfit while it will be released under the umbrella of the Warner Bros studio.

The move to breathe new life into the immigrant bear, who is named after the London station where he is discovered looking lost by the Brown family, will gladden middleclass parents everywhere as Paddington is a delightful combination of politeness and chaos.

His strong sense of manners, enduring optimism and "sense of wonder" help him get out of various scrapes, making him an "ageless classic" perfect for a new family comedy, Warner Bros' president of production Jeff Robinov believes.

Heyman said bringing Paddington to the big screen was a project he had wanted to work on for several years.

"Michael Bond's Paddington books have such wit, wonder and charm," he said.

"Above all, I love Paddington's unique take on life - he is a great comic creation."

A 1975 animated television series, The Adventures of Paddington, proved a popular success and the books themselves have remained popular with children.End of story