Report: Paddington Musical Eyeing Broadway Bow

The musical hit it big at the 2026 Olivier Awards: now, a transfer to the main stem appears to be in the works.

April 14, 2026 By Margaret Hall

James Hameed, Arti Shah, and Amy Ellen Richardson in *Paddington the Musical* (Johan Persson)

Paddington is on a new journey to New York!

Per Deadline, producer Sonia Friedman let it slip at the Olivier Awards that she's hoping to bring the hit musical to Broadway in 2027, continuing the show's momentum off of its seven Olivier wins (the most of any production this season).

Said Friedman to the outlet, “Look, it’s going to happen, I can’t kid you, but we have to look at the costs. Broadway is expensive, prohibitively so in some instances... I’d like it to be next year to keep the momentum going."

England's favorite bear took home the highest total of trophies at this year's Olivier awards, with seven awards won out of 11 nominations, including the coveted categories of Best Musical, Director, and Actor in a Musical. Adapted from the much-loved children's books written by Michael Bond and the award-winning films by STUDIOCANAL, Paddington the Musical features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard (of & Juliet).

The Paddington character is one of the most popular British fictional characters of all time. So popular, in fact, that when the Channel Tunnel was completed in 1994, a stuffed Paddington toy was chosen by the British tunnellers as the first item to pass through to their French counterparts as an expression of friendship. The anthropomorphised bear from "darkest Peru," with his red hat, battered suitcase, blue coat, and love of marmalade sandwiches, is one of the most popular bears in all of children's literature, second only to Winnie the Pooh. The Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages, making him an internationally beloved icon.

Paddington has been adapted for television several times, first by the BBC in 1976, voiced by Michael Hordern; and most recently adapted by STUDIOCANAL. Paddington has enjoyed three successful big-screen outings by STUDIOCANAL and Heyday Films. Paddington released in 2014, Paddington 2 in 2017, and Paddington in Peru in 2024, all of which enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim.

Visit PaddingtonTheMusical.com.