The Strange Release of the New Paddington Movie Made Finding Merch a Nightmare

Due to word of mouth on the film Twitter (RIP), many moviegoers were paddington-pilled and were all in when Paddington 2 opened, and are now excited about the long-delayed US release Paddington in Peru. So why is it so hard for American fans to get their feet wet Paddington merch?

The first two films, both directed by Paul King, adapted the classic tales of the English author Michael Bond about a lost bear from the “Darkest Bear” who has lovable adventures in London. It sounds like hyperbole to name two of the i greatest movies ever made but Paddington 2 holds the title of the best reviewed film in Rotten Tomatoes; he is also dethroned Citizen Kane. It was only reduced to 99% thanks to a bad review that was left for being contrarian – deserving of the harshest of hard stares from Paddington himself.

So yes, it is that serious. Since the release of both films, fans have embraced King’s films as modern classics. Those who raised a small brood of cinema nerds had children growing up on the franchise for a decade, while the other iconic British bear in the Mouse House – AA Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh – struggled to make a cinematic impact outside. of merchandising. When Paddington became a huge part of the pop culture zeitgeist, Disney took note and spun off the live-action hybrid. Christopher Robin film after his attempt at an animated animated film Winnie the Pooh clear film. (Beyond Disney, the character is now out for emotional murders thanks to the public domain Blood and Apples horror series).

But as we said, Pooh remains visible through merchandising; he and his friends are everywhere even though IP movies and shows have mixed results with longevity. Meanwhile, Paddington achieved cult status thanks to the King films’ knack for harnessing the timeless appeal of found-family themes and slapstick whimsy. It can make the hardest of men cry, as seen in The unbearable weight of massive talent, the meta-film with Nicolas Cage as himself who is hired to stay with Pedro Pascal, whose character of the crime lord is the actor’s biggest fan. Paddington 2 gets a memorable moment on screen that unites the two characters.

With all the fanfare and fanfare because it’s still so hard for US fans to find a decent Paddington Bear stuffed animal, or any really good merchandise, three movies in the background?

We can’t help but wonder if Paddington is being held at the door. Of course, there are versions of the bear on Amazon, but they are mostly book variant and very rarely from the movie If you’re looking for a huggable bear, almost 1:1 in size, you should visit the official Paddington store at Paddington Station in London. And it’s been that way since at least Paddington 2 when I was looking for one as a millennial toy collector without kids. The one I managed to make in 2018… well, it looks like a basic eight-inch bear with a flimsy felt hat and coat, like these examples found online:

Despite the Nickelodeon 2020 Paddington’s Adventure animated series, the third reboot from the 70s and 90s. Paddington it continued to grow mostly through word of mouth as there was no merch pushed for visibility. The Nickelodeon series had a limited run of games that evaporated, and good luck finding the seasons on DVD. This series coincided with the popularity that it achieved for another favorite closure: Bluey. In fact, my husband and I entered Bluey when filmmaker Duncan Jones advised on Twitter; then we took our other film nerd friends into Ludo Studio’s animated series letting them know it had the energy and heart of Paddington. It prevented us from losing our minds at home during the pandemic, and if not for Paddington I’m not sure we live in the era of Bluey right now. He opened the way for Blueytaking control of the – which, by the way, includes a lot of merchandise and accessories for all ages. And also for Paddington? You have to work very hard to find something good.

Now that I have a baby, I’m even more pressed to find something good. I prepared; I bought the software Rattle Paddington in 2021 from Barnes and Noble—but how can it be 2025 and it’s still one of the few games you can find? It’s my boy’s favorite, but to have a Paddington under the Christmas tree for his first party, I had to order it from the Paddington store online and I think if I bought the Paddington in Peru released will be the best. They weren’t what I was hoping for, partly because they were so small for what they cost (and oof, the UK shipping price was gross). To use another pop culture example for a character that comes from outside the United States, Totoro stuffed animals are also hard to find, and retailers that sell the official Studio Ghibli stuff charge exorbitant prices for them. But at least they are accurate to their animated looks, in addition to being huge.

Paddington is, understandably, also a hot commodity in the UK, to the point where counterfeiters have taken notice. The independent reported on a recent shoot in which “almost 2,000” items were seized near the locations where the films were shot. On Reddit, you can find complaints from all over about how hard it is to track down the perfect Paddington bear – they really seem to be. alone available in London.

The best I could do this Christmas was the bear shipped internationally and several pieces from the The H&M Paddington Bear children’s clothing collection. Baby Gap also released a children’s clothing line, but it was available first in the UK and much more expansive; Here’s what you can get in the US. The two adorable drops feature the classic children’s book Paddington.

It’s terrible for children, but it’s even more ridiculous for adults. If you have the money you can get a coat (for about $600) or some shirts Blazers to row. The company also had some neat hats, including one that read “Please take care of this bear. Thank you,” but it’s sold. Out of Print he has some shirts, and the Oodie launches an oversized paddington sweater with a comfortable look– but then again, it’s just the book version of Paddington.

Fortunately, streaming exposes the wonders of Paddington to the wider public; movies are always at the top of the charts on Netflix and Disney +. Perhaps the current merch logjam can be traced to the complicated journey of the films through different American distributors: Studio Canal initially had an agreement with the Weinstein Company, but withdrew from it, and then. Paddington 2 was released by Warner Bros. The third film, directed by Dougal Wilson, is a Sony Pictures release.

If the excitement can be drummed with Paddington in Perudemand might change with future films. Paddington 4 is in operation in front of the 70th anniversary of the character (bring back Paul King) and it is better to be a better way merch widely available since then.

Paddington in Peru opens February 14.

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