The books adapted from movie Paddington in Peru – set to release in the UK on 8th November 2024 and in France on 5th February 2025 – will be released in France by Hachette Jeunesse in February 2025 and will cater for the whole family, featuring retellings of the epic story in novel, picture book and story book formats as well as a sticker activity book.
Myriam Héricier, Director Hachette Jeunesse Licences said:
We are thrilled to become the French publisher of Paddington TV series and movies and to join the family of such a beloved and iconic character. We are eager to start this adventure with STUDIOCANAL’s anticipated movie Paddington in Peru expected in France in February 2025!
Publishing rights were acquired from HarperCollins Children’s Books UK, the proud publishers of Michael Bond’s original and classic Paddington titles since the first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958.
Juliette Clark, Rights Director at HarperCollins Children’s Books added:
We are extremely pleased to have appointed Hachette Jeunesse as our French language partner for Paddington’s film and TV series content. Paddington is a very special bear and we are proud to have published his adventures continuously since A Bear Called Paddington was launched in 1958.
STUDIOCANAL through The Copyrights Group owns the global IP of Paddington. The Paddington franchise is STUDIOCANAL’s most symbolic, with the Daytime Emmy Award-winning animated series now in its third series. Two BAFTA-nominated feature films, developed and produced by STUDIOCANAL which also handles worldwide distribution, are STUDIOCANAL’s biggest hits with nearly US$500 million in cumulative global box office revenues – and a third about to be released. STUDIOCANAL also produced the opening film starring Paddington for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, generating more than 200 million views.
Françoise Guyonnet, CEO Copyrights Group, concludes:
This exciting deal is yet further proof of the global growth of the iconic British character of Paddington. His stories are timeless and his appeal is universal – we are so thrilled that his film & TV adventures in French have found a home with the talented team at Hachette Jeunesse.
