'Creepy Paddington' not what the movie makers had in mind

An image showing 'creepy Paddington' inserted into a movie scene.

Internet pranksters have turned the first image from the upcoming Paddington Bear movie into a mock-horror meme.

The popular children's cartoon has been made into an animated film, starring Nicole Kidman as well as Colin Firth as the voice of the famous bear.

Fans were given their first look at Paddington when a still from the film were released earlier this week.It shows the shaggy bear dressed in his navy duffle coat and red hat, suitcase in hand, standing somewhat menacingly outside Buckingham Palace.

What had apparently escaped the creators of the animation was immediately evident to everyone else: this Paddington was creepy, not cuddly.

Within days, a "Creepy Paddington" hashtag cropped up on Twitter and a meme was born, archived on this tumblr page.

Soon internet users were photoshopping the beloved children's character into frames from famous horror films.

In one, Paddington hovers threateningly in a doorway from Paranormal Activity, while another puts him right at the centre of Seven's climatic showdown.

He's also been transported into Hannibal Lecter's prison cell, bloodied halls from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and into the back seat of a car in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

One particularly creative submission even snuck the furry character into Ellen's star-studded Oscars selfie.

With the film due out in December, photoshoppers have six months to keep honing their skills.

- AAP