Warner Bros. has triumphed in the bidding war for the domestic rights to Paddington 2.
After the fall from grace of The Weinstein Company following the myriad sexual misconduct allegations towards Harvey Weinstein, the independent studio was looking to offload the distribution rights to Paddington 2 before it files for bankruptcy protection.
Warner Bros. has succeeded in attaining the US distribution rights to the film and is keeping the January 12 release date that was already planned.
The original Paddington over-peformed upon its release in 2015, bringing in $76 million in the US and $191 million from foreign markets.
Paddington 2 opened last weekend in the UK to $10.9 million, which is a whopping 60% above the first movie. The film is fully financed by Studiocanal, with they and The Weinstein Company/Dimension Film originally distributing in the US in Canada.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Paddington 2 here
The much-anticipated sequel to the worldwide hit family film finds Paddington happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where he has become a popular member of the community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief…
Paddington 2 stars returning cast members Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Imelda Staunton, and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington alongside new additions Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Ayoade, and Noah Taylor.
