'We've chosen conscious uncoupling' Colin Firth drops out of Paddington Bear movie
THE trailer for the film was only released a few weeks ago, but Colin Firth has revealed that he's pulled out of upcoming film 'Paddington'.
The 53-year-old made the sudden decision after deciding that his voice just didn't fit the part of the bear.
According to Empire magazine - who exclusively broke the news - StudioCanal has confirmed the bear now has no voice, with Colin himself talking about the decision.
He told the publication: "It’s been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realisation 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
And in a dig at his co-star Gwyneth Paltrow and her estranged husband Chris Martin, Colin added: "After a period of denial we've chosen conscious uncoupling."
'The King's Speech' star continued: "It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realisation 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."
However, the setback will not impact on the movie's release date and it is still scheduled to hit cinemas in November and it will hit the big screen in the U.S. on Christmas Day.
Director Paul King, who is confident he'll be able to announce Firth's replacement in the coming weeks, said: "I cannot thank him (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."