For director Paul King, getting the chance to make the first ever Paddington Bear film was a childhood dream come true.
"I grew up reading and adoring Paddington, so making this movie has been an absolute delight for me," he says. "It felt like a perfect time to tell a Paddington story, which is fun and has the physical humour people know from the television show and books, but also has a bigger story about an outsider coming to live in a strange, new place.
"I was mindful though that even though Paddington is well-known, as a character, perhaps his story isn't so well-known, beyond him arriving at a train station with a label pinned to him," King continues. "So, we tried to make a film that works for people who grew up with the books, but also for those who know very little about Paddington.
The result is a delightful romp with Paddington trying to put his best paw forward but inevitably getting into trouble in an endless series of sticky situations - usually involving marmalade.
"We concentrated on the first four chapters of the [first] book, which are Paddington arriving at the station, going home, having his first bath and going on the Underground," explains King.
"But the rest of the film is based on a sentence in the book which says 'soon Paddington was part of the family.' I thought; 'oh, here's an opportunity here to make a film about Paddington and the Brown family, who adopt him, which won't spoil it for anyone reading any of the other stories that follow on from this."
It's also the opportunity for Mr and Mrs Brown, played by Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins, along with their children, Judy and Jonathan, portrayed by newcomers Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin, to join in with Paddington's escapades, with serious and often outrageous consequences.
"It was a chance to bring out the big kid in you, delve into the dressing-up box, have snow ball fights at the wrong time of the year and play around in the Natural History Museum at night," teases Bonneville.
"Paddington was a central part of my childhood and I remember my mum and dad reading him to me at bedtime," he reminisces. "I always wanted to be Paddington's pal and go on his marmalade adventures, and now I have, so I was very pleased to play Mr Brown. But I was also a little cautious, because of Paddington's iconic status. Then, when I read the script, any fears disappeared because it was a notch above everything else and made me laugh out loud. It's got wit, heart and sincerity - certainly not what you might expect in a kid's film - as well as wonderful visual flourishes, great slapstick and witty lines which made it a lot of fun, a joy to play."
"It's so nice being part of a film that the whole family can watch and enjoy together," adds Hawkins, about her role as Mrs Brown. "The humour works on lots of different levels - it's both childish and sophisticated."
Paddington proved equally contagious for the rest of the cast, with veterans like Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Michal Gambon and Julie Walters, Dr Who actor Peter Capaldi and Little Britain's Matt Lucas all gleefully joining his adventures. But the biggest, most surprising twist in the bear's tale is Nicole Kidman's involvement as the villainous taxidermist, Millicent.
"Getting Nicole Kidman was just one of those ridiculous 'Paddington opens doors' moments," admits King.
"I spoke to the casting director and said I wanted her to play Millicent and they said; 'don't be so ridiculous.' But we rang her agent and Nicole really wanted to do it! She asked for the script, read it overnight and by the next morning she was on board. It was the easiest bit of casting! Apparently, it's because she'd grown up with the stories, loved them and just really wanted to be involved."
"There seems to be something enduring about this character," concludes Bonneville, smiling. "The idea of a vulnerable bear, living with this slightly odd family -- and having all these incredible adventures that start out with an innocent premise and then end up being quite complicated and messy - just seems irresistible. I know it was for me."
What: Paddington, the movie starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Nicole Kidman
When: Opens at cinemas on Thursday
Who's it for: Paddington fans of all ages
Other family offerings at the flicks this summer
Amazonia: Disney 3D docudrama film about a capuchin monkey lost in the Amazon wilderness. Opens Thursday.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb: The third in the Museum series, this time set in London and featuring of the last performances by Robin Williams in a cast let by Ben Stiller. Opens Boxing Day.
The Penguins of Madagascar: Spin off from the animated Madagascar films starring the beaked break-out stars -Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private - in their own adventure. Opens January 8.
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