It's time to get very excited as the highly anticipated third sequel Paddington 3 is now in UK cinemas, ready to satisfy fans after such a long wait of seven years after the last installment.
And perhaps you're already wondering, does Paddington in Peru have a post-credits scene? Do you need to stay in your seat during and after the credits? Well, luckily for you we have all the answers…
Of course, Paddington 2 featured an iconic mid-credits scene in which Hugh Grant's iconic villain, Phoenix Buchanan, performed a fabulous musical number. The question is, then, can we expect something similar with Paddington in Peru?
Scroll down for everything you need to know about Paddington's post-credits scenes in Peru. But warning: there are spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you haven't seen the new movie…
Does Paddington in Peru have a post-credits scene?
There are not one, but two post-credits scenes in Paddington 3, so be sure to stick around during the credits and after they've finished for delicious surprises.
We've broken down both scenes below…
Paddington's mid-credits scene in Peru explained
As the credits begin to roll for Paddington in Peru, you may notice a curious addition to the cast list. At the bottom is the credit 'Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan', which may naturally leave you baffled given that Paddington 2's iconic villain was nowhere to be found during the film.
However, everything becomes clear once the main credits have finished, when we cut to the mid-credits set in the prison where the coward Buchanan was sent at the end of Paddington 2. The prison, as you remember, was the same establishment as Paddington . Bear himself served time when he was framed for the robbery of Samuel Gruber's antique store.
During the scene, Paddington visits bad guy Grant in prison, bringing with him the bears he met during his adventure in Peru, who turn out to be the last members of his family. It's evident that Paddington and Buchanan have kept in touch following the events of the sequel.
Buchanan tells Paddington that he will soon be released, either near the end of his ten-year prison sentence or that he will be let go early due to his good behavior. As we learned in Paddington 2's post-credits scene, Phoenix has been putting his theatrical talents to use in prison, involving other inmates in his elaborate musical numbers.
He clearly wants to pursue this once it is published, and tells Paddington that he thinks the visiting bears might be the performers he needs for a production of the classic Goldilocks fairy tale. In fact, Buchanan even begins casting the bears. bears for the roles of Papa Bear, Mama Bear and more.
Not only is it great to see Grant's legendary villain back on screen, but the entertaining scene is also a clever reversal of the one we see in Paddington 2, when the Brown family visits the bear in prison. As you may recall, Paddington is joined by his new inmate friends, much to the Browns' surprise.
Now we can only hope that Buchanan appears in a sequel, with Paddington 4 supposedly in the works. Everyone involved keeps their cards close to their chests, but perhaps this scene is setting up events. Let's face it, Grant's character is a fan favorite and they make a point here to emphasize that he needs to get out of prison.
So does this mean that Phoenix Buchanan will make a big return in Paddington 4? We can certainly hope so.
Paddington in Peru post-credits scene explained
To add more weight to the theory that we're setting up Buchanan's return, the character appears again right at the end of Paddington 3's post-credits scene, which occurs after the credits have stopped rolling.
This scene is short but sweet, just featuring more of Buchanan's conversation with the bears, exclaiming “how funny” at their idea of doing a Goldilocks show. He also comments “so much hair” clearly surprised by the number of bears. What's on the other side of the glass.
He doesn't really add much and Grant likely improvised in the role, and the filmmakers included him as an added treat for fans who stayed through the credits. And hey, we'll never say no to more Phoenix Buchanan.
Paddington in Peru is now in UK cinemas before coming to the US next year, where it hits cinemas on January 17. For more on the film, here's what director Wilson had to say about the film's tribute to the late Queen and the cast on who makes a perfect Paddington villain.
And don't forget to check out our guide to upcoming movies to put on your watchlist.