Paddingtonis one of the most beloved characters in all of cinema, but even the talking bear has enemies. AsPaddington in Perufinally hits theatersin the United States, after spending a few months in U.K. cinemas, a hacker group has decided to set their sights on the titular bear. A new report now claims that the original Paddington Bear is being held for ransom, because the current state of the world could not get more worrying, it seems.
As reported byThe Sun,the hacker group known as Rhysida has apparently held sensitive information for ransom from The Agency, a firm that represents the Paddington Bear property and the estate of creator Michael Bond.Now, it’s unclear what kind of “sensitive” data is being held for a price, but it seems the firm quickly decided they did not intend to pay up and instead called the police. In a statement to its employees, the company said that “We have taken measures to ensure the security of our systems and continue to closely monitor them as a priority,” but admitted that there is a “reasonable chance” the data was leaked at some point.
Whatever it is, the stolen information must not be too critical to the future of Paddington Bear andthe successful movie franchise. Presumably, the data breach is more concerned with the personal data of the firm’s employees and of their very human clients (no offense, Paddington), including the estate of Michael Bond. If it was up to the bear, a few marmalade sandwiches would probably be enough to make up for the loss of sensitive data. And honestly, aPaddingtonsequel where the titular character finds himself in a precarious hostage situation could be what the film series needs to reinvent itself.
So… Is ‘Paddington 4’ in the Works?
Despite the aforementioned data breach and subsequent ransom, the future of thePaddingtonfranchise is secure.In fact, not only isPaddington 4in the works after the bear’s brief stint in Peru, a new television show is on the way.It’s unclear if it will be set in the same cinematic universe, but the Paddington Bear property is expanding its reach across different mediums. StudioCanal CEO Anna Marshteasedthe future of thePaddingtonseries:
“There will be a fourth film. We’re thinking about the next movies and we’re working on a new TV series as well as the stage show musical with Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley.”
‘Paddington 2’ Explained: Everything You Need to Know in 3 Minutes or Less
Paddington picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
The most recent film,Paddington in Peru, may holdthe franchise’s lowest Rotten Tomatoes score, but at a whopping 94% Certified Fresh rating from critics, it’s hard to argue that the movie series is losing any steam. With several more projects on the way, Paddington will find its way back into theaters, even after it got a revamped creative crew and supporting cast last time around. Until the fourth film is eventually made, audiencescan enjoy the acclaimed sequel,Paddington 2, for free on the streaming service Tubi.
Paddington
