The strange premiere of the new film Paddington turned the search for Merch into a nightmare

Through word-of-mouth on the movie Twitter (RIP), many cinephiles got hooked on Paddington and were ready when Paddington 2 opened and are now excited about the much-delayed US release of Paddington in Peru. So why is it so hard for American fans to get their paws on Paddington goods?

The first two films, both directed by Paul King, adapted English author Michael Bond’s classic tales about a lost bear from “darkest Peru” who goes on charming adventures in London. It sounds like hyperbole to call them two of the greatest movies ever made but Paddington 2 holds the title of best reviewed film of Rotten Tomatoes; they even dethroned him Citizen Kane. It was only reduced to 99% thanks to a bad review that was removed for being controversial – which deserves the hardest stares from Paddington himself.

So yes, it is that serious. After the release of both films, fans embraced King’s films as modern classics. Those raising a bit of a cinephile have children who have grown up in the franchise for about a decade, while the other iconic British bear in the House of Mice, Winnie the Pooh in A. A. Milne – struggled to make a cinematic impact outside of merchandising. As Paddington became a huge part of the pop culture zeitgeist, Disney took note and released the live-action hybrid Christopher Robin film after his attempt at a full-length animated cartoon Winnie the Pooh the movie went out. (Beyond Disney, the character is now ready for exciting kills thanks to the public space Blood and honey horror series).

But as mentioned, Pooh remains visible due to merchandising; he and his friends are everywhere, even if the IP movies and shows have mixed results with longevity. Paddington, meanwhile, has achieved cult status thanks to the King films’ knack for tapping into the timeless appeal of found-family themes and slapstick whimsy. It can make even the toughest men cry, as seen in The unbearable weight of immense talent, the meta film starring Nicolas Cage as himself, who is hired to date Pedro Pascal, whose crime lord character is the actor’s biggest fan. Paddington 2 gets a memorable moment on screen that connects the two characters.

With all the recognition and praise why is it still so hard for American fans to find a decent Paddington Bear stuffed animal or any really good merchandise, three deep movies?

We can’t help but wonder if Paddington is guarded by the door. Sure, there are versions of the bear on Amazon, but they’re mostly book version and very rarely from movie. If you’re looking for a huggable bear that’s almost 1:1 in size, you’ll need to visit the official Paddington store at Paddington Station in London. And at least it’s been that way ever since Paddington 2 when I was looking for one as a childless millennial toy collector. The one I ran in 2018… well, it looks like an eight-inch basic bear with a flimsy felt hat and coat, similar to these examples found online:

Despite 2020’s Nickelodeon The Paddington Adventures animated series, the third reboot from the 70s and 90s shows, Paddington continued to grow mostly through word of mouth, as there were no visibility-driven merchandise. The Nickelodeon series had a limited toy run that evaporated and success finding seasons on DVD. This streak coincided with the meteoric rise in popularity of another blocking favorite: Bluey. Actually, my husband and I got involved Bluey when director Duncan Jones recommended it on Twitter; then we roped in our other film geek friends into the Ludo Studio animated series, letting them know it has the energy and heart of Paddington. It kept us from losing our minds at home during the pandemic, if not for Paddington I’m not sure we’ll live in the age of Bluey right now Paving the way for Bluey‘s takeover—which, by the way, includes lots of merchandise and accessories for all ages. And yet for Paddington? You will have to work very hard to find something good.

Now that I have a kid, I’m even more pressured to find something good. I prepared myself; I bought the paperback Paddington Rattle in 2021 from Barnes and Noble—but how can it be 2025 and still be one of the few toys you can find? This is my baby’s favorite but to have Paddington under the Christmas tree for her first holiday I had to order from Paddington Shop Online and I thought if I buy Paddington in Peru editions, they would be the best. They weren’t what I was hoping for, partly because they were so small for what they cost (and ugh, the cost of UK postage was gross). To use another pop culture example of a character that originates outside the US, Totoro stuffed animals are also hard to find and retailers that sell official Studio Ghibli ones charge exorbitant prices for them. But at least they’re accurate to their cartoon look, aside from being huge.

Paddington is also understandably a hot commodity in the UK, so much so that counterfeiters have taken notice. The Independent reported a recent crackdown in which “nearly 2,000” items were seized near movie locations. On Reddit, you can find complaints from all over about how hard it is to track down the perfect Paddington Bear – they really do seem only available in London.

The best I could do this Christmas was the internationally shipped bear and some pieces of H&M Paddington Bear children’s clothing collection. Baby Gap also launched a children’s clothing line, but it was available first in the UK and was much wider; here’s what you can get stateside. Both adorable drops feature the classic children’s book Paddington.

It’s terrible for kids, but it’s even more ridiculous for adults. If you have the cash, you can pick up a coat (for around $600) or some shirts from Breasted blazers. The company also had some neat hats, including one that read “Please take care of this bear. Thank you’ but it’s sold out. Out of print there are several shirts and the Oodie launches cozy sweaters with a large Paddington blanket– but then again, that’s just the book version of Paddington.

Fortunately, streaming reveals the wonders of Paddington to a wider audience; movies consistently top the charts on Netflix and Disney+. Perhaps the current trade logjam can be traced to the films’ complicated journey through various US distributors: Studio Canal originally had a deal with the Weinstein Company, but pulled out of it, and then Paddington 2 was released through Warner Bros. The third film, directed by Dougal Wilson, is a Sony Pictures release.

If excitement can be induced Paddington in Perusearch may change with upcoming movies. Paddington 4 is under development before the character’s 70th anniversary (bring back Paul King) and there better be much better merchandise widely available by then.

Paddington in Peru opens February 14.

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