Film brings 1950s bear to 21st-century London

He may be among the world's best beloved bears, but he also is one of the most endangered in the new movie Paddington, in which Nicole Kidman co-stars as a taxidermist looking to complete her collection of rare animals.

Due for release later this year, the live-action feature film based on the marmalade-loving bear from darkest Peru has been a long time coming.

Created by author Michael Bond in the 1950s, some 30 million books following the bear's various adventures have been sold worldwide. Turned into a popular television series, Paddington, with his distinctive Wellington boots, old hat and duffle coat, was portrayed by a stop-motion puppet. A 1976 movie was made with conventional animation.