From Borehamwood to Peru!
Two years ago today, Paddington in Peru had its world premiere in London’s Leicester Square — but the little bear’s journey had taken him through Borehamwood first!
Paddington already knew his way around town. His first film, Paddington (2014), was partly filmed at Elstree Studios on Shenley Road, using the George Lucas Stages 1 and 2, as well as Stage 7.
For Paddington in Peru, he moved to another of the town’s studios — the brand new Sky Studios Elstree, where filming took place in late 2023. Although Wicked was the new studio’s first production, Paddington in Peru reached UK cinemas first, opening on 8 November 2024 and becoming the first blockbuster filmed there to go on general release.
And bringing Peru to Borehamwood took some ingenuity. Framestore’s visual effects team combined footage captured on location with physical sets built in Borehamwood, including a riverbank and sections of an ancient Inca citadel — joining locations thousands of miles apart into one adventure.
From the established stages on Shenley Road to the town’s newest studio, Paddington has made himself at home in two chapters of Elstree’s filmmaking history. Not bad for a bear who arrived with just a suitcase and a marmalade sandwich!
All images © 2024 StudioCanal