NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--What a birthday gift! In celebration of his birthday today and in anticipation of his feature film debut this Christmas, Macy’s (NYSE:M) and The Weinstein Company are proud to announce that Paddington, the world-famous Peruvian bear, will trade his London digs for a place in the sky above the Big Apple marking a return to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! The star of The Weinstein Company’s “PADDINGTON,” in theaters Dec. 25, will transform into a new giant helium character balloon for the annual spectacle. A renowned traveler having made his way from Peru to London’s Paddington Station and eventually to the home of the Browns, Paddington is planning his greatest adventure yet when he takes to the skies of New York City in front of more than 3.5 million spectators and an astounding 50 million television viewers in the nation’s most beloved holiday event.
“Watching the Macy’s Day Parade has been a Thanksgiving tradition in my family for as long as I can remember and having Paddington join the parade this year makes it all the more special. It’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season,” said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.
“We are so thrilled to welcome Paddington back to the Macy’s Parade family of classic characters,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “With his trademark hat, coat and suitcase, Paddington is ready for his trip down the streets of Manhattan and into the hearts and homes of millions of spectators who will once again fall in love with the classic children’s book character, just in time for his feature film debut this Christmas season.”
Paddington author Michael Bond’s celebrated creation and star of his long-running series of children’s books will take flight posed mid-stride as if making his way to catch a bus, train or plane on his globetrotting journey. For his Thanksgiving Day adventure, Paddington will be decked out in his classic blue overcoat, red rain hat and will carry his signature suitcase. Standing at approximately 60-feet tall and 34-feet wide, Paddington will be ready to take on New York City’s famed thrills and even its cold November chill during his inaugural flight this holiday. Paddington last appeared in the Macy’s Parade in 1990 as an inflatable riding aboard a float. This year marks his first turn as a giant, high-flying Parade balloon!
One of the most beloved characters of all time, Paddington is also set to hit the big screen for the first time on Christmas day. The magical comedy adventure is from the producer of all eight “Harry Potter” films, David Heyman, and helmed by twice BAFTA-nominated director Paul King. “PADDINGTON” features an entirely computer-generated bear who interacts with an all-star cast. Golden Globe-winner Sally Hawkins, and “Downton Abbey” star Hugh Bonneville play Mrs. and Mr. Brown, the British couple who take in the loveable bear. “Harry Potter” veterans Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters co-star, along with the new star of “Doctor Who,” Peter Capaldi. And Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman plays the villainess Millicent who is determined to wreak her revenge.
With a Thanksgiving Day adventure and a new, star-studded big screen debut that is set to become the must-see family film of the Christmas season, at 56-years old today (according to one of the Brown family’s birthday edicts that marked Paddington’s birthdate as the day that he came to live with them), Paddington is sure to delight a new generation of children with his comic misadventures.
The 88th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014 from 9 a.m. - Noon in all time zones. “PADDINGTON” opens in theatres everywhere on Dec. 25, 2014.
About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:
With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 85 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy’s employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America’s best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy’s signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy’s Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.
About The Weinstein Company:
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein. During Harvey and Bob's tenure at Miramax and TWC, they have received 348 Oscar nominations and won 82 Academy Awards. Upcoming releases include BEGIN AGAIN; THE GIVER; FRANK MILLER'S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR; THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY; ST. VINCENT; THE IMITATION GAME; PADDINGTON and BIG EYES.
About “PADDINGTON:”
From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER), “PADDINGTON” tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined - until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.
