The Paddington franchise came out of nowhere to become one of the most critically acclaimed film series of all time. A franchise that was able to seamlessly blend modern charm and sensibilities with the nostalgic beauty of a bygone era.
Now, Paddington is one of those characters that I think a lot of people know, even if they don’t know much about him. They know the hat and the duffel coat, and these are cute little bears. But for a lot of people, I think that’s where their knowledge sputters out.
They don’t really know about the various characters or their relationships with one another or much about the story in general. So when a Paddington film was first announced, I think it took a lot of people by surprise.
Here is Paddington Filming Locations:
Paddington Review
Released in 2014, Paddington tells the story of Paddington. A bear cub living in the darkest Peru with his aunt Lucy and his uncle Festuso, who were talking bears who had been visited by a famous explorer many years in the past.
After the death of Pastuso, Lucy sends Paddington via ship to the City of London, where the explorer promised many years ago that they would receive a very warm welcome one day. Of course, in the years since that promise was made, the world has changed.
Thus, Paddington struggles to find a home until he catches the eye of Mrs. Brown, who pretty much immediately falls in love with him and adopts him into her heart straight away. Whilst her husband, well, I think he takes the more reasonable position that having a bear come and live in the house is probably not the greatest idea to just have off the cuff.
It’s that kind of commitment that you probably need to think through a little bit more and make sure you’re certain about.
Regardless, though, they end up taking him in and promise to help him find the explorer so he can get a permanent home. Of course, this doesn’t really happen for him, and instead, he finds himself targeted by the explorer’s hateful daughter, Millicent, who seeks to kill him to atone for her father’s failure in not collecting a specimen of his species many years ago.
Their actions eventually cause a little bit of tension between Paddington and the Browns, and so he leaves the house so that they won’t have any more trouble. However, this eventuates, and he gets kidnapped by Millicent, who takes him to the museum to stuff him and turn him into an exhibit.
Of course, in the meantime, the Browns have discovered how much Paddington truly meant to them and how much he helped the family, and thus, they set out to make things right and rescue him. And, of course, they succeed and have happy endings all around.
Paddington Filming Locations
Given the classic Paddington Bear stories are primarily set in London, a substantial portion of the film Paddington was filmed there. The London port where Paddington’s boat sails is Tilbury Docks in Essex. You might recognize it from other projects like Batman Begins and Alfie, which also used Tilbury Docks.
Hertfordshire’s Hatfield House served as another prominent location for the Paddington movie. This majestic mansion has been featured in numerous past films, such as Sherlock Holmes and The King’s Speech.
The production shot a lot of scenes in Elstree, one of the biggest studios in Europe, including the well-known George Lucas Stage and Stage 7. The Brown family home’s interior shots, which appear to be from the Tardis when one walks through the front door, were filmed on these lots. A portion of the film was also shot in Costa Rica, which served as a stand-in for Peru, the country where the spectacled bear is found.
London
The movie only uses the inside of Paddington Station as a filming location. Instead, they chose to employ Marylebone’s more stunning exterior. The gorgeous Windsor Gardens served as the location for a few of the scenes. In the film, there is a brightly lit phone box that is used for important story scenes.
When Paddington and the Browns board a taxi to their house in Windsor Gardens, the driver takes them on a lovely tour of London. They leave Paddington station and pass by St. Paul’s Cathedral, pass through Trafalgar Square, pass Big Ben, pass through the illuminated Tower Bridge, go down Great Eastern Street to see some street art, travel through Borough Market and into Windsor Gardens in Primrose Hill.
