Why isn’t Sally Hawkins in Paddington 3? Her disappearance explained-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Sally Hawkins played Mrs Brown in the first two Paddington movies (Picture: Moviestore/Rex/Shutterstock)

Paddington in Peru marks the welcome return of Paddington Bear and the Brown family to our screens for another caper, seven years after Paddington 2 knocked fans’ socks off.

However, this time there have been a few changes – alongside new director Dougal Wilson, Paddington and co swap the streets of London for a South American adventure.

And while Hugh Bonneville is back as the risk-averse Mr Brown alongside Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin as Judy and Jonathan – and of course Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington himself – Paddington 3 also introduces Emily Mortimer as Mrs Brown.

Original actress Sally Hawkins opted to step back from the role following the first two films, which was quietly announced ahead of filming commencing in June 2023.

Talking to Bonneville ahead of Paddington in Peru’s release, he was full of praise for his new Mrs Brown, saying it wasn’t difficult at all to welcome her to the family as she ‘fitted in like a hand in a glove’.

‘Obviously we were sorry when Sally, for her own reasons, needed to pull back – she took a little bit of a break – and the first person that we thought of was Emily, and she fitted in seamlessly,’ he told Metro.

Hawkins stepped back from the role to take ‘a little bit of a break’ according to co-star, Hugh Bonneville(Picture: Warner Bros/Everett Collection)

‘She’s a natural team player and has all the warmth and width that you would want from a Mrs Brown.’

When Oscar nominee Hawkins confirmed her departure, she also complimented her ‘truly wonderful’ and ‘extraordinarily special’ replacement in Mortimer.

Explaining that it ‘felt the right time to hand the reins over to another’, the Happy-Go-Lucky star added in a statement to Variety: ‘She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. 

She has been replaced by Emily Mortimer, who joins as the new Mrs Brown for their adventure in Peru (Picture: Studiocanal)

‘However, I am and will always be in love with Paddington’s world. I already greatly miss my on-and-off-screen family – the experience of making the first two films has truly been some of the best and most creative times I have had in the world of film.’

‘They both gave me so much joy. I will forever hold them so very close to my heart indeed,’ she concluded.

Despite the ringing endorsements, fans shared their disgruntlement over the change when Paddington in Peru’s first trailer arrived in June, saying it ‘wasn’t the same’ without Hawkins.

Bonneville said he wasn’t aware of any backlash, but added: ‘If [fans] have been overreacting, well it was just wonderful to have such an actress of such quality stepping into – yes – very big shoes.’

He continued: ‘Sally’s a phenomenal actor, but so is Emily, so I sort of don’t see the problem. And I got to have two wives, which is wonderful!’

Mortimer is best known for her work on films including Mary Poppins Returns, Woody Allen’s Match Point and Lars and the Real Girl; she has also starred in TV shows The Newsroom and Doll & Em.

Hawkins has since appeared in Wonka as Willy’s (Timothée Chalamet) mother, which was also directed by King.

Mortimer with onscreen family Judy (Madeleine Harris), Bonneville’s Mr Brown and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) (Picture: Peter Mountain/Studiocanal)

Bonneville is full of praise for Mortimer as a ‘phenomenal’ replacement (Picture: Anthony Harvey/Rex/Shutterstock)

While Paddington in Peru did go global with location shoots, it didn’t necessarily mean the actors went anywhere more glamorous than a UK film studio for their scenes – even if fans get to enjoy the lush views of the Amazon rainforest and river, as well as the lama-strewn backdrop of the Andes.

Mr Brown is famously risk-averse and pushed out of his comfort zone during the new film, with Bonneville quipping: ‘I’m not going to spoil too much – but there were a couple of stunts that were quite interesting, driving across ravines in a car park in Borehamwood and that sort of thing.’

And as for why everybody loves the Paddington franchise as much as they do, for the Downton Abbey star it’s simple: ‘Great scripts, great characters, and every scene – every frame – is filled with love and attention to detail from both our directors, Paul King in the first two films and Dougal Wilson in this one.

‘There isn’t an ounce of fat on the script. The jokes, both visual and verbal, are glorious. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, and I just think that the spirit of the bear shines through. Michael Bond’s creation has been around for so many years now and has landed with every generation.’

Paddington in Peru provides an exciting backdrop to new adventures for Paddington and the Browns onscreen – if not in real life (Picture: Studiocanal)

In terms of what fans can expect from Paddington in Peru, we see him grapple with the pretty deep idea of home vs belonging, alongside the usual madcap chaos of scrapes and muddles with everything from a photobooth to attempting to captain a boat.

The Browns support him when he learns that his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears, run by the cheery Revered Mother (Olivia Colman).

‘In the first two films, we’ve seen him trying to cope with a new environment and learning the rules and foibles of a new place. And so now it’s reversed – he’s going back to somewhere that he knows is home, and the Browns are out of their element. So that’s quite fun to turn that on its head,’ Bonneville explains.

‘But I suppose the film ultimately asks, what is home? Is home where you’re from, or is it where you’ve ended up, or is it somewhere in between? And that’s a rather interesting thought that I think we can all relate to as well, what matters most.’

Paddington in Peru is in cinemas from Friday November 8.

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