Paddington In Peru Box Office Earns Second-Best Domestic Debut Of The Franchise

Paddington in Peru has earned the second-best domestic debut of the family movie franchise. The sequel follows the clumsy and lovable bear Paddington (Ben Whishaw) as he and the Brown family travel to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), only to learn that she has gone missing. The Paddington in Peru cast also includes Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer (replacing Sally Hawkins), Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Carla Tous, Olivia Colman, and Antonio Banderas. The movie opened in the UK on November 8 ahead of its Valentine's Day 2025 premiere in North America.

Per Variety, as of Sunday morning, Paddington in Peru is projected to debut at No. 2 at the domestic box office, earning a 3-day opening weekend total of $13 million and a 4-day total of $16 million over the Presidents' Day holiday weekend. Its traditional 3-day haul will not be enough to allow it to surpass its fellow new release Captain America: Brave New World at No. 1, but it does mark the second-best domestic debut of the franchise, behind 2014's Paddington ($18.9 million) but ahead of 2018's Paddington 2 ($11 million).

What This Means For Paddington In Peru

The Movie Could Be On Track For Theatrical Success

Although the domestic debut of the Paddington in Peru release cannot compete with the original movie, the fact that it has beaten out the beloved Paddington 2 (which has a Certified Fresh 99% Rotten Tomatoes score and an 89% audience score) could indicate that there is a resurgence of interest in the franchise among ticketbuyers even after a hiatus of more than half a decade. Below, see how the movie compares to the overall critical and commercial success of the previous two movies so far:

Title	Domestic Debut	Worldwide Total	RT Critic Score	RT Audience Score
Paddington (2014)	$18.9 million	$268 million	96%	80%
Paddington 2 (2018)	$11 million	$227.3 million	99%	89%
Paddington in Peru (2025)	$13 million	TBD	94%	TBD

Paddington in Peru reviews have been able to hold their own with the movie’s now-iconic predecessors, which - along with this opening weekend gross - could spell good news for its prospects. Based on precedent, if it maintains its current lead, it could potentially leg out to a worldwide gross between $184 and $268 million. Its $90 million budget likely places its break-even point around $225 million, so if it is able to rally even more in the coming weeks, it could easily surge past that milestone by the end of its run.

Our Take On The Paddington In Peru Box Office

Slow And Steady Could Win The Race

Paddington reaching the top of a mountain in Paddington in Peru.

One thing that could help Paddington in Peru thrive at the domestic box office is the fact that there is a dearth of major new releases coming throughout the rest of February. Especially if Captain America: Brave New World suffers a severe drop in week 2, which is possible considering the fact that its B- CinemaScore is the worst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paddington could easily stay afloat amid the raft of smaller releases that are due in theaters until the release of the Disney live-action tentpole Snow White on March 21, including Novocaine, Last Breath, and The Monkey.

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Source: Variety