How the New Paddington Director Pulled Off a Mid-Credits Blinder Cameo

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Warning: This interview spoils the mid-credits surprise in Paddington in Peru.

Speaking as a devoted fan myself, it’s no understatement to say that stepping into the shoes of a beloved franchise like Paddington in Peru was nothing short of daunting, according to director Dougal Wilson. “When I was offered this incredible opportunity,” he reminisces, “I felt a mix of flattery and fear, wondering if I dared to tackle the third installment of such a cherished series.

It’s great that he gained a fresh perspective, as this film moves the action from previous films set in West London (directed by Paul King and adapted from Michael Bond’s books) to an exciting adventure in Peru. This new storyline serves as a sort of origin tale, with Paddington and the Brown family embarking on a journey to find Aunt Lucy while encountering his ancestral family. Ben Whishaw reprises his role as the marmalade-loving Paddington, and Olivia Colman joins the cast as a suspicious Reverend Mother. However, don’t forget to stay until the end of the credits, as Phoenix Buchanan, the notorious villain actor from Paddington 2, portrayed with flamboyance by Hugh Grant, makes his return – still in prison!

Previously spotted enacting a spectacular rendition of “Rain on the Roof” from Sondheim’s repertoire alongside his fellow inmates (“I didn’t need the West End anymore,” he jokes, “just an audience captive enough. What am I if not a prisoner? Guards… lock me up. Oh wait, you already have!”), Buchanan is now welcoming Paddington and his new troupe of El Dorado bears for a visit. Buchanan senses an opportunity for fame and admiration. “By any chance,” he inquires of the gathering group, who all bear names reminiscent of London train stations, “are any of your companions theater enthusiasts? You see, I’m soon to be released and I was thinking… a red cape, a golden wig, spotlights: Phoenix Buchanan becomes Goldilocks! Who among you would like to play Daddy bear?

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I must say, the unexpected appearance in this movie was nothing short of brilliantly disguised – a surprise that had been carefully tucked away until the grand unveiling at the premiere. And here’s the behind-the-scenes scoop on how Wilson managed to keep it hush-hush.

Great job maintaining the secret! Didn’t we come up with a codename like ‘Blue Harvest’ for Hugh Grant in the script, you ask? Nope, I’m afraid our wit wasn’t that sharp that day.

Have there been instances where you almost revealed his involvement in any media interviews?

We were asked questions such as: “Is Hugh Grant part of the project?” To which we had to respond, “Since he’s currently incarcerated, it’s challenging for him to reach Peru.” We managed to maintain our discretion, but it wasn’t easy.

In 2022, during script development, I proposed an idea to Hugh. Given his fondness for the Paddington films, he was quite receptive. It seemed like he saw this opportunity as a chance to contribute without having a significant role in the main storyline, which he had already done extensively. He even enjoyed the humor and found it amusing enough to assist with the dialogue for that specific scene.

What did Hugh contribute to the dialogue? That’s all his brainchild, including the line “Red cape, golden wig, lights: Phoenix Buchanan is Goldilocks”. Also, the concept of having the bears participate in a theatrical performance once they’re free was also Hugh’s invention. He was quite passionate about it.

Was there any chance this scene was intended for inclusion in the final cut of the movie? Not really, since it occurred after Paddington had discovered his tribe and they returned to London, where he took the bears to see Mr. Buchanan. Given that Phoenix Buchanan ends up in prison at the end of “Paddington 2,” we thought it would be intriguing to include this scene as part of Paddington’s tour of London with the bears, visiting Phoenix as a friendly gesture. As kind and forgiving as Paddington is, it was felt that having Phoenix influence another story on another continent might have been narratively complex.

I’m curious about how quickly Paddington managed to forgive Phoenix following that framing incident. But, from what we can tell, he certainly seems to have done so. He doesn’t seem like the type to bring up old grudges! In fact, imagine if we could create a situation reminiscent of “Paddington 2,” where Paddington brings the Browns to meet… not just any prisoners, but all his bear friends instead! It would make for a heartwarming ending to their story.

In the process of filming, did you ever expand the scene with additional content? Were there any other humorous moments that didn’t quite fit or were left out? To answer your question, we experimented with a few variations. At one point, Paddington requested his “brandy and hot-water bottle” from the prison guard due to being unnerved by all the bears and their “beady eyes.” There were several other ideas he proposed, featuring more dialogue and extra details, but it was consistently decided that Paddington would introduce his friends and Phoenix would react to this introduction, with him inquiring if they’d like to join a play called Goldilocks.

How did we find the biggest challenge when filming that scene? Well, since Paddington and the bears weren’t physically present, we needed to nail the timing perfectly. Hugh had to use his creative skills to act as if he were interacting with various bears at different levels. We had to adjust the camera angles (eyelines) to make it look seamless, which proved quite challenging to coordinate everything effectively.

After delivering an outstanding performance, it appears that Hugh returned for an encore in the closing credits as his character, Phoenix, saying “What fun, what fun, what a lot of lovely fur.” It seems to have been Hugh himself reappearing.

In the given scene, he’s sporting the identical pink attire reminiscent of Paddington 2. This clever reference is made by dressing inmates in pink due to an incident where Paddington mistakenly laundered a red sock, causing distress among them. However, it was endearing how they decided to keep the pink uniforms instead of replacing them. With Paddington around, even the prison seems more cheerful now.

What do you think Phoenix has been doing in jail? Well, he’s been quite busy organizing amateur dramatic productions. In fact, every year he puts on a production, even one for Christmas. The entire prison population seems to have developed an appreciation for the arts with Phoenix at the helm, and they can hardly wait for his release now.

Based on his good conduct, statements suggesting release, and the time served, I’d guess he was released some time ago. He seems to have realized his mistakes and put in a lot of effort through those plays, so hopefully, his parole board agrees that he won’t commit more crimes in the future. Only time will tell though.

Is it possible that he might be preparing for a larger return in the upcoming film, Paddington 4? However, I’m not certain as I don’t have that information.

As for me, have any discussions for Paddington 4 been set in motion yet? At this time, it seems we’re still waiting for the script to be penned and the director’s chair to be filled.

Has the tune “Let’s Prepare for Paddington” by Olivia Colman been stuck in your mind since watching the movie? I can confirm that it has certainly been lingering in mine as well, given that Mark Burton and Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy co-wrote it. However, I’ve managed to get it out of my head… until now. It seems that one effective method for banishing an earworm is by listening to Rush music and letting it all flow out.

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2025-02-19 20:56