Ben Whishaw, as Paddington As soon as Extra, Is Right here to Make You Really feel Higher

Paddington was not a part of my childhood. I used to be a Muppet child, and Fozzie was my consolation bear of alternative.

As an alternative, Paddington got here to me as an grownup. In 2015, an exceedingly well mannered, marmalade-slurping fellow in a floppy felt hat and blue duffel coat arrived in theaters and supplied an uplifting story about tolerance and pluck. Three years later, the euphorically reviewed “Paddington 2” delivered a reassuring — calming — message in regards to the ugly chaos of recent life: Hold believing in goodness. It’s nonetheless on the market.

So once I just lately had the chance to speak to Paddington himself, I couldn’t assist however flip the interview right into a remedy session.

It wasn’t really Paddington, in fact. I used to be on a video name with the British actor Ben Whishaw. He voices Paddington within the PG-rated franchise, the third installment during which, “Paddington in Peru,” arrives in theaters in the USA and Canada on Friday. Our chat was speculated to be about an imaginary world the place optimistic bears carry umbrellas and tuck sandwiches beneath their hats. On the day we spoke, nevertheless, my thoughts was consumed by the true world — the Los Angeles fires, the turmoil of a altering presidential administration, my mom needing coronary heart surgical procedure.

Paddington! Say it’s all going to be OK!

“I perceive,” Whishaw mentioned gently, sounding similar to Paddington in each syllable. “You’re feeling like nothing is steady anymore.”

My eyes began to nicely up. “However right here is the reality,” he continued. “Treating individuals nicely, trying on the world kindly, that also exists.”

Within the first film, Paddington turns up in London as an unlawful immigrant from “darkest Peru” and encounters prejudice. A maniacal taxidermist performed by Nicole Kidman needs to stuff him. “Let one bear in and shortly the road might be filled with them,” she sneers. Paddington carries on, helped by the kindhearted Brown household.

Within the second movie, Paddington faces a brand new problem: Can he maintain on to his decency when despatched right into a wider world? After encountering a sequence of obstacles, together with wrongful imprisonment, we study that (spoiler alert) he can. That is one resilient bear, even within the face of a villainous Hugh Grant, who performs a narcissistic, has-been actor.

“Paddington in Peru” has the identical emotional arc. This time, nevertheless, the fish-out-of-water theme is reversed. Paddington is again on residence turf, and the Browns — touring with him — are caught in an unfamiliar world. “Paddington in Peru” additionally obscures the villain till late within the motion. Is it Olivia Colman’s joyful nun? She appears to have a sinister secret. Or is it Antonio Banderas’s brooding steamboat captain?

The third film, which price StudioCanal an estimated $90 million to make, has already taken in $104 million abroad. (It was launched in the UK in November.) By the tip of its international run, “Paddington in Peru” ought to have ticket gross sales exceeding $200 million, based on field workplace analysts. (“Paddington 2” collected $290 million.)

In different phrases, the franchise is comparatively wholesome. No apparent motive to count on the Paddington movies to go away anytime quickly.

However ought to followers (which means: me) fear that Paddington may lose his voice? Already, one necessary member of the unique forged, Sally Hawkins, has decamped. After taking part in the delicate Mrs. Brown within the first two movies, Hawkins determined to not return for “Paddington in Peru.”

“We did every thing we may to attempt to persuade her, however she felt she’d already introduced every thing she may to it,” Rosie Alison, who produced the trilogy, instructed me. Hawkins was changed by Emily Mortimer, whose credit embrace “Mary Poppins Returns.” (It takes some getting used to.) Paul King, who directed the primary two motion pictures, additionally departed and was changed by Dougal Wilson, a first-time filmmaker.

Whishaw, 44, could possibly be subsequent. Franchises don’t appear particularly necessary to him, though he additionally performed the tech genius Q in three James Bond blockbusters. Primarily based on his résumé, he clearly likes new challenges, particularly in gritty TV dramas (“Black Doves,” “This is Going to Hurt”) and artwork movies (“Women Talking,” the approaching “Peter Hujar’s Day”).

“I don’t know if there might be any extra Paddingtons,” he mentioned. “I’m all the time of the opinion that it’s greatest to depart individuals wanting extra. I don’t assume it ought to go on and on.”

This was virtually extra actuality than I may take. I gave Whishaw a tough stare.

“We’ll see,” he supplied, returning to therapist mode.

The Paddington movies are a hybrid of animation and dwell motion, a mode that may be difficult to tug off, particularly tonally. Whishaw’s tender, soothing, considerably otherworldly voice is the key ingredient. However he was not the primary alternative for the function. Colin Firth, an Oscar winner for “The King’s Speech,” left the primary Paddington movie after manufacturing had already began as a result of his voice (deep, booming) turned out to be a clumsy match.

“I’ve to work fairly arduous at it,” Whishaw mentioned. “He must be humorous. However he additionally must be tender. He can’t be too figuring out, not ever. If it turns into an excessive amount of wink wink then he simply dies as a personality. Generally he have to be just a little melancholy, different occasions quizzical. He all the time needs to be very optimistic.”

“You do each single line 100 occasions or one thing,” Whishaw added, noting that every recording session lasts 4 hours. “4 hours of growling. It sounds simple, but it surely’s fairly tough.” Whereas recording, Whishaw wears a helmet fitted with a digicam that captures his facial expressions; Pablo Grillo, an animation whiz, makes use of the imagery to create Paddington.

Alison, the producer, mentioned she hoped Paddington may assist soothe the nerves of those that want it.

“He’s a really composed Englishman who takes every thing in his stride, and nothing actually fazes him,” she mentioned. “In some way, every thing seems all proper for him, and he sees the perfect of all prospects on the planet. There’s a stunning mild contact about him — that internal youngster could be very a lot nonetheless there. He’s courteous and respectful. He has manners.”

Wait a second: Was she speaking about Paddington or Whishaw?

“One and the identical,” she mentioned.