Paddington: The Musical has been scheduled for a November 1 opening night at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End, after more than a year in development.

Marking an on-stage debut for English author Michael Bond’s iconic marmalade-loving bear, the show is primarily based on his first book, A Bear Called Paddington (1958), which features an epic journey from Peru and a happy new-home ending with the Brown family in London.

Paddington’s musical is produced by StudioCanal, Sonia Friedman Productions and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK. The project was first teased back in December 2023, when English musician Tom Fletcher (best known as a member of pop rock band McFly) was recruited to start workshopping original tunes for the choreography-packed production. And Luke Sheppard (& Juliet) is directing with a script from Olivier Award-winning playwright Jessica Swale (Nell Gwynn). 

Paddington: The Musical was born from a constant effort to find “innovative ways” of continuing the legacy brand’s journey, according to StudioCanal boss and deputy CEO/CCO of CANAL+ Anna Marsh. From its kidlit beginnings in the ’50s, the franchise has expanded to encompass multiple TV adaptations and a live-action/CG-animated film series that kicked off in 2014. Latest release Paddington in Peru, which premiered in the UK last November before hitting the US market in February, has generated US$191.6 million at the global box office to date.