Colin Firth has agreed to play Paddington Bear in a re-boot of the famed Michael Bond books about a bear from Peru with a taste for marmalade. In the original Bond books, Paddington is found by the Brown family in London's Paddington Station after getting lost on the way over from his South American homeland. It is thought that the origins from the book will be mirrored on to the screen.

Colin Firth
Colin Firth will play the marmalade-loving bear

In a discussion with the Daily Mail, Firth revealed that the movie will all be live action, except for the computer animated Paddington. Firth also revealed that as well as providing the voice for Paddington, his facial expressions will be mapped and used by the animators to construct the Paddington we see on stage, using the same methods used to capture Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films.

Firth went on to tell the paper that he would be playing Paddington with "a slight Peruvian flavour" when it comes to recording his part, and added, "the idea is that Paddington will have something of me in his DNA because I'm going to do some sessions wearing one of those helmets with cameras to capture my face muscles, and all that data will somehow be incorporated into Paddington."

Colin Firth TIFF
Firth is not the only big name actor to be given a role in the film

Firth is only one of several big names that have already agreed to take part in the film, with Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins playing the role of Mr and Mrs Brown. Julie Walters has been cast as housekeeper Mrs Bird and Jim Broadbent will be playing an antiques shop owner named Mr Gruber. Nicole Kidman caps off the big names, playing the part of an evil taxidermist. She told the Mail: "I just had to do the bear film. My agent called and said: 'We've got this offer from London for you to be in a film about a Paddington Bear.' And I said: 'You mean the Paddington Bear?!'"

"I was read the stories when I was little and I grew up with Paddington. I know all about his adventures and what mischief he got up to."

The film is being made by Harry Potter producer David Heyman and will be directed by Paul King, who has made his name in British television, on shows such as The Mighty Boosh. The film is scheduled for a Christmas 2014 release date.

Nicole KidmanJim Broadbent
Nicole Kidman and Jim Broadbent will also appear in the film