Paddington 2 Adds Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson to Cast, Filming Has Begun

Paddington — based on the best-selling children's books by British author Michael Bond — was one of the biggest sleeper-hits in 2014. It earned overwhelmingly positive reviews, with top critics giving it a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It charmed moviegoers of all ages, who gave it a glowing 'A' CinemaScore. And it pulled in a whopping $270 million at the worldwide box office, making it the highest grossing independent (non-US studio) family film of all time.

Of course, with all of that success, a sequel was green-lit right away, and today, producer David Heyman and Studio Canal have officially announced that principal photography on the highly-anticipated Paddington 2 has commenced and Hugh Grant (Love Actually, About A Boy) and Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Harry Potter series) have joined the all-star returning cast of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin with Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington and Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy.

The sequel 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...

Grant will play Windsor Gardens' local celebrity, Phoenix Buchanan, a vain, charming acting legend whose star has fallen somewhat in recent years. Gleeson will play "Knuckles" McGinty, a notorious safe-cracker and legendary strongman who becomes an unexpected new ally for Paddington.

The film is being directed by Paul King and was written by King and Simon Farnaby.

Paddington 2 will open in UK theaters on November 10, 2017.