Paddington Bear gets a shot at the big screen this week, but he’s following a long-line of bears that’ve already had their turn in the spotlight. Here’s our list of the most iconic bears on film ever.
BALOO
The joyful, chilled-out dancing bear stole most of the show in the 1967 Disney classic and now he’s set to do the same in not one but two Jungle Book films coming out in 2015 and 2016. Rudyard Kipling’s book will be the subject of two films – one by Disney and the other by Warner Bros. The former will be directed by Jon Favreau and will feature Bill Murray as the iconic bear, while Andy Serkis pulls double duty as director and Baloo in Jungle Book: Origins.
YOGI & BOO-BOO
This dynamic duo have remain a cornerstone of Hanna-Barbera cartoons ever since 1958. Their misadventures in Jellystone Park and their encounters with Ranger Smith have enthralled audiences for decades. In 2010 though, they added another feather in their cap by becoming movie stars in their first big outing titled, Yogi Bear. Veteran comedian Dan Aykroyd provided the voice for Yogi with pop star Justin Timberlake voicing his side-kick.
FOZZIE BEAR
Fozzie has been an integral part of The Muppets ever since the 70s and he’s been their loyal resident comedian. And he’s been featured in all their big screen outings including The Muppet Movie, Muppet Treasure Island, A Muppet Christmas Carol and The Muppets. Voiced by the great Frank Oz, Fozzie is one of the most recognisable and coolest Muppet in the group, next to Kermit and Miss Piggy of course.Wakka Wakka.
WINNIE THE POOH
Originally created by A.A Milne, Winnie the Pooh got the Disney treatment and became one of its most famous characters. The bear featured in a number of animated shows and starred in his own titular big screen adventure in 2011. The 51st animated feature from Disney, Winnie The Pooh saw the lovable potbellied bear and his forest embark on a search to find Eyeore’s tail.Monty Python alumni John Cleese provided the narration for the film.
TED
Seth MacFarlane’s idea for a comedy created one of the biggest breakout stars of 2012– a talking foul-mouthed bear. Voiced by MacFarlane himself, Ted was far from being your average fluffy teddy bear as he drank, smoked and cussed. He was however also a long-time pal of John Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, and they do get in quite a bit of trouble in the film including a fight where Marky Mark gets his ass whooped in more ways than one.And, he’ll be back for a sequel in 2015 too.
