On Tuesday (June 17), British actor, Colin Firth, announced in a statement that he will no longer be the voice of the cuddly bear in the upcoming Paddington Bear flick. If you cant hack it, dump it. Well played, Firth!
“It’s been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn’t have my voice,” Colin said in the statement. “I’ve had the joy of seeing most of the film and it’s going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I’m pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him.”
Director Paul King added:
“Colin Firth has been a joy to collaborate with and I cannot thank him enough for his contribution to Paddington. We love the voice and we love the bear – but as our young bear came into being we agreed that the two didn’t seem to fit. So, with somewhat heavy hearts we decided to part ways. We are excited about the next chapter for Paddington, ensuring his big-screen debut is magnificent.”
Paddington, generated an Internet meme dubbed "#CreepyPaddington" when the studio released the first image of the bear standing in front of Buckingham Palace last week. People began generating the creepy meme by pairing the childhood bear with scenes from horror movies like The Shining and The Ring.
A replacement for Firth hasn't been named. "Paddington" is due out in theatres on Christmas Day.
