Colin Firth, who was recently the voice actor for the upcoming Paddington Bear film, has left the project. In a statement, Firth said, "After a period of denial, we've chosen ‘conscious uncoupling".
He further elaborated saying "It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn't have my voice". I've had the joy of seeing most of the film and it's going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I'm pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him."
The film, which will mark Paddington Bear's big-screen debut, still has no replacement for Firth, but the release date hasn't changed.
Director Paul King said, "I cannot thank [Firth] enough for his contribution to Paddington. We love the voice and we love the bear, but as our young bear came into being we agreed that the two didn't seem to fit. So, with somewhat heavy hearts we decided to part ways."
The film is slated for a Christmas Day release.
