One of the most kid-friendly movie franchises that’s currently active (at least assuming our hopes for future sequels don’t go ignored), the Paddington films are filled to bucket hat’s brim with good-natured comedy and adventure. Which, naturally, makes the lovable bear that much easier to parody in surprising ways. But not all parodies are created and experienced equally, and Paddington’s right holders have teamed with production company StudioCanal to file a lawsuit over a YouTube series’ raunchy depiction of the bear.
Okay so it’s not just a YouTube series, but rather the award-winning British puppet satire Spitting Image, which has existed in various forms since its conception in 1984. The latest iteration was launched in July 2025 on YouTube, as opposed to linear television, and one of the early sketches posted, called “The Rest Is Bulls*!t,” features a heavy-handed spoof of Prince Harry co-hosting a podcast with a very wonky and worrisome-looking version of Paddington, who was last seen on the big screen in the adventurous third film, Paddington in Peru.
Like if you made a copy of a copy of a copy of the bear, and then dropped it on the ground for a week or so, it still wouldn’t look quite as broken as this version.
In any case, Spitting Image’s version of Paddington is very open about being “from Peru, motherfuckers!” and isn’t exactly keen on keeping his cocaine-laced past out of the conversation. It’s a ridiculous and over-the-top take on a classic piece of pop culture, but clearly not everyone was laughing at it.
Why Studio Canal Is Suing Avalon Over Paddington Parody
Though many of the lawsuit's specific details still haven't been made public as of yet, according to Deadline, it's reported that StudioCanal is represented by the law firm Edwin Coe, and that the company filed a High Court complaint that pointed to concerns over copyright and design rights. It's also not clear why this lawsuit is only being filed now, months after the sketch kicked off Spitting Image's streaming revival.
Perhaps it was just an issue of not knowing it existed until it reached a certain level of popularity. To date, the video has been watched well over 500,000 times, and the five most current videos posted on YouTube have accumulated around 2 million views, not counting the show's other forms of social media.
Those who aren't currently handling any sensitive work duties can check out the sketch below, which also features puppeted appearances from Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a big pile of Peruvian cocaine.
With slightly more low-key energy than Triumph the Comic Insult Dog, this fonked-up Paddington says things like "my health IS mental" and somewhat risque gags like this:
And that's why I said no to Harry Potter. Paddington Bear gets out his wand for no one.
Not exactly Mark Twain-worthy, but also not too far beyond the usual parody approach that a show like Saturday Night Live might bring, albeit probably with less nose powder. But StudioCanal clearly thinks that there's a reason to get litigious over this, so it'll be interesting to see what the next step in this process looks like.
Paddington in Peru can currently be streamed via Netflix subscription, and here's a list of other movies for fans to watch that I can guarantee don't feature any coked-up bears talking to world leaders.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
