Bear-ily We Roll Along: A Paddington Musical Is Happening

The cross section of Paddington lovers and musical theater stans may not boast as many members as some other global fandoms. But if you belong to it, rejoice: Your ship is about to come in.

As Variety reports, a stage musical is currently in the works, with Paddington: The Musical as its working title. It’s set to debut in the UK sometime in 2025, but as Broadway enthusiasts already know, the West End’s successes often end up on the Great White Way.

Jessica Swale, whose previous plays include Blue Stockings and Nell Gwynn—winner of the 2016 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy—is writing the script, which, per Variety, will fuse together elements of the Paddington books by Michael Bond and the two Paul King–directed movies. It’s tough to predict which parts of Paddington’s 65-year history will make it into the show, but you can probably expect to see a marmalade sandwich or two.

Tom Fletcher, a founding member of the pop rock band McFly, will write the music and lyrics. It’s not Fletcher’s first time in the kid-friendly musical space: He also wrote and recorded a full soundtrack for a musical version of his children’s book The Christmasaurus. The director for Paddington: The Musical will be Luke Sheppard, whose most recent directing credit is for the jukebox musical & Juliet, currently on Broadway (and which also originated in the UK).

“The magic of Paddington is that, through his wide-eyed innocence, he sees the very best in humanity, reminding us that love and kindness can triumph if we open our hearts and minds to one another,” producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said in a statement. “We cannot wait to bring Paddington, his antics, adventures and mishaps with the Brown family, and Michael Bond’s other treasured characters to the stage. We hope to inspire audiences of all ages with fun, beauty, joy, and all that Paddington stands for.”

[h/t Variety]