Jessica Hynes
Also Known As: Jessica Stevenson, Jazzy Jess, جسیکا هاینس
Biography: Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) (born 30 October 1972) is a British actress, director and writer. Best known as a comedy actress, she has played Cheryl in The Royle Family (1998–2010), Siobhan Sharpe in Twenty Twelve (2011–2012) and W1A (2014–2017) and Emily Yates in There She Goes (2018–2023). She was also one of the stars, creators and writers of Spaced (1999–2001). She has also had starring roles in television film Tomorrow La Scala! and BBC dramas Years and Years (2019) and Miss Austen (2025). In film, Hynes has appeared in the Bridget Jones (2004–2016), Nativity (2012–2018) and Paddington (2017–2024) film series. Hynes has been nominated for two International Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, five BAFTAs (winning two), three Royal Television Society Awards (winning two) and three British Comedy Awards (winning two). Hynes was born in Lewisham, London, and grew up in Brighton, where she attended St Luke's Infant and Junior Schools and Dorothy Stringer High School. After her parents split up, she was raised by her mother. She moved back to London as a young adult. Her maternal grandmother came from the village of Llanelian, north Wales, where her uncle also ran a farm. Her mother is a fluent Welsh speaker who later moved back to north Wales. In 2023, Hynes took part in the S4C series Iaith ar Daith where she began to learn the Welsh language; she cited being able to speak Welsh to her mother as a reason why she wanted to take part in the programme. Early in her career, Hynes teamed up with future Spaced co-star Katy Carmichael in a comedy double-act called the Liz Hurleys, appeared in two productions at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, and acted for television shows including Staying Alive, Six Pairs of Pants, (Un)natural Acts, and Asylum (on which the Spaced team of Hynes, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright first assembled). From 1998 to 2000, she played the supporting role of Cheryl in the hit sitcom The Royle Family; she reprised the role for special episodes in 2006, 2009 and 2010. In 1999, she co-wrote and starred in Spaced, for which she won two comedy awards and was nominated for an International Emmy and a Bafta for writing and creating the show alongside Simon Pegg. In 2017 , she directed her first feature film, The Fight, produced by Jamie Adams and Unstoppable media. In 2018, she played the role of a mother in the BBC Four programme There She Goes. She stars alongside David Tennant, raising a daughter with a severe learning disability. It is based on the real life of writer Shaun Pye and his wife Sarah Crawford whose daughter was born with a chromosomal disorder. She won a Bafta for her role in the series and was nominated for an International Emmy for her role in '414' the special made in 2023. In 2019, she starred in the BBC and HBO production Years and Years for which she won a Royal Television Society award.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Lewisham, London, England, UK
Adult: No
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Known For:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Overview: Returning for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the return of Lord Voldemort have been ignored. Left with no choice, Harry takes matters into his own hands, training a small group of students to defend themselves against the dark arts.
Genres: Adventure Fantasy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-07-08
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Shaun of the Dead
Overview: Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.
Genres: Horror Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-04-09
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Magicians
Overview: A pair of rivaling stage magicians are forced to confront their falling out over a guillotine mishap when they compete in a magic competition.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-05-18
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Confetti
Overview: A mockumentary that follows three couples as they battle it out to win the coveted title of 'Most Original Wedding of the Year'.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-05-05
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Catching the Bus
Overview: Within an isolated forest clearing, two unlikely strangers meet up with a mutual agreement in mind.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2021-03-24
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Son of Rambow
Overview: Will is looking for an escape from his family when he encounters Lee, the school bully. Armed with a video camera and a copy of Rambo, Lee plans to make his own action-packed video epic.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-01-22
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A Brush With Comedy
Overview: Feature documentary from Louis Moir exploring the relationship between comedy and art, and the inner conflicts that lie within. Featuring the director's father Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, Spencer Jones, Simon Munnery, Miriam Elia and Bec Hill as they each prepare work for an exhibition.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2023-04-19
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Faintheart
Overview: A romantic comedy set in the world of battle re-enactments, about an irresponsible guy who has to shape up in order to win back his wife.
Genres: Romance Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-01-27
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Burke & Hare
Overview: Two 19th-century opportunists become serial killers so that they can maintain their profitable business supplying cadavers to an anatomist.
Genres: Comedy Thriller History Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-10-29
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Pinochet in Suburbia
Overview: In 1998 former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet visits Britain for medical treatment. On being tipped off, Amnesty International seize the chance to bring to justice a man they insist is guilty of multiple human rights violations. The newly-elected Labour government is initially amenable, and soon Pinochet is under house arrest (albeit in a detached house in leafy suburbia) and awaiting extradition to Spain. However, Amnesty are up against the complexities of British law, the vacillations of Home Secretary Jack Straw, Pinochet's former ally Margaret Thatcher - and the Senator's own vast reserves of cunning.
Genres: Drama History TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-03-26
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Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
Overview: This sequel to the popular British comedy sees a new teacher (David Tennant) take over. When he enters his school in the National 'Song for Christmas' Competition, he and his pregnant wife, and the schoolchildren, embark on an epic road trip that ends up with a birth and a donkey, where he must embrace his fears and become a hero.
Genres: Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2012-11-23
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Learners
Overview: Bev is a downtrodden housewife who's failed her driving test eight times, having only been instructed by her impatient husband Ian. After registering with a driving school, she develops a crush on her instructor, Chris.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-11-11
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Spaced: Skip to the End
Overview: A feature documentary about the making of and influence of the British television series Spaced. It also features an epilogue to the series.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-04-12
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Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book
Overview: In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth, film and television personalities take turns championing their favourite of Dahl's 10 best-selling children’s books, culminating in a nationwide vote. Rik Mayall reads from George’s Marvellous Medicine.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-09-04
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Hollywood's Dark Secret
Overview: After decades of secrecy and cover-ups, Hollywood's Dark Secret was revealed to the world- on the wings of inspiring bravery. Voices that had long been silenced risked everything to share their shocking stories of abuse at the hands of some of the most powerful people in the world. Uncover the disturbing reality that is - the casting couch. The truth is out, and it is being heard.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2019-07-09
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Death of a Unicorn
Overview: A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.
Genres: Horror Fantasy Comedy Adventure Science Fiction
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2025-03-27
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Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
Overview: Pudsey the cheeky London stray dog is quite happy being a lone ranger, looking out for number one, until he meets siblings Molly, George and Tommy. After losing their father, their mother Gail is moving the family to the sleepy village of Chuffington and Pudsey tags along, to the dismay of their landlord, Mr. Thorne, and his cat Faustus. As Pudsey starts to settle in with the family and realises what he was missing when he was alone, he stumbles across Thorne's evil plan, and he determines to save them and the whole village.
Genres: Adventure Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2014-07-18
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Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Overview: With exclusive interviews and outtakes, this anniversary special celebrates a decade of Robert Popper's iconic comedy, from celebrity fans to Paul Ritter's infamous squirrel-based catchphrase
Genres: Documentary Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2021-05-28
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Rapture
Overview: Short film directed by Em Smith.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
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Seize Them!
Overview: An arrogant queen becomes a fugitive in her own land after being overthrown by a charismatic revolutionary and must face hardship and danger as she embarks on a voyage to win back her throne.
Genres: Comedy Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2024-04-05
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The Lost Explorer
Overview: Director Tim Walker's 2010 short film The Lost Explorer starring Richard Bremmer, Olympia Campbell and Jessica Hynes. Based on a story by Patrick McGrath, the story begins with a child, Evelyn, stumbling upon a tent among brambles at the bottom of her garden. Inside, an explorer is dying of malaria and clutching a revolver...
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-08-12
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Lizzie and Sarah
Overview: Lizzie and Sarah are two fiftysomething suburban housewives, perpetually mistreated and ignored by unloving, selfish husbands. The highlight of their otherwise dull lives is their role in an amateur dramatic society, The Borking Players. In the aftermath of a tragic accident which causes the death of a popular local teenager, emotions run high, and following a dismal birthday lunch for Sarah, the two friends embark on a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip. As the day unfolds, they find a way to wreak their revenge.
Genres: Comedy TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-03-20
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Cider with Rosie
Overview: A semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in the Cotswolds during and immediately after the First World War.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-09-27
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Tomorrow La Scala!
Overview: Members of a British opera troupe mount a production of "Sweeney Todd" within a maximum-security prison.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-12-10
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Four Last Songs
Overview: A comic drama set on a Mediterranean island, where a motley collection of characters is seeking musical redemption.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-01-11
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Comic Aid
Overview: Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2005-03-02
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The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Overview: The rebirth of Amnesty International's legendary SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL at the Royal Albert Hall on 14th October - after a 15 year hiatus - was a resounding success. Bigger, Better and Ballsier than ever before, 'The Ball In The Hall' is a non-stop, rapid-fire, relentless smorgasbord of comedy and music. 6,000 people turned up to create a fantastic atmosphere as some of the best contemporary comic and music talent from both sides of the Atlantic delivered one show-stopping performance after another. Featuring never-before-seen collaborations, brand new sketches, explosive stand-up, off-stage performances, surprise ingredients and an anthem for the world, there has been nothing like it in the comedy world for years.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-10-31
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Swallows and Amazons
Overview: Four children dream of escaping the tedium of a summer holiday with their mother. When finally given permission to camp on their own on an island in the middle of a vast lake, they are overjoyed. But when they get there they discover they may not be alone… The battle for ownership of a lonely island teaches them the skills of survival, the value of friendship and the importance of holding your nerve.
Genres: Adventure Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-08-19
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Winter
Overview: A tragic love story following Woods, a successful artist, after the death of his beloved wife and exploring the effects his crippling grief has on his two young sons.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-07-05
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Bridget Jones's Baby
Overview: After breaking up with Mark Darcy five years earlier, Bridget Jones' happily-ever-after hasn't quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. Then her love life takes a turn - while a weekend away at a music festival, she meets a dashing American named Jack, who is everything Mark is not, and spends a night with him. A week later, she runs into newly-separated Mark, and has a one-night dalliance. In an unlikely twist, she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch - she's not sure of the identity of her baby's father - Mark or Jack.
Genres: Drama Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-09-14
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Born Romantic
Overview: In modern-day London, three men (Craig Ferguson, Jimi Mistry and David Morrissey) and three women (Olivia Williams, Jane Horrocks and Catherine McCormack) fall in and out of love and back again, to the Greek-chorus accompaniment of two cab drivers, who engage in an ongoing conversation about sex. A winning romantic comedy, Born Romantic is the second feature by British writer-director David Kane of This Year's Love fame.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2000-09-14
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Pure
Overview: A young boy trying to deal with his mother's heroin addiction befriends a waitress who helps him cope with the tough situation.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-09-13
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The Baby of Mâcon
Overview: Set halfway through the 17th century, a church play is performed for the benefit of the young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.
Genres: Drama History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1993-09-17
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Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Overview: Bridget Jones is working as a TV host and still dating her new love, barrister Mark Darcy, for a perfect six weeks. But Bridget is jealous of the time Mark spends with a gorgeous co-worker Rebecca and, despite a vacation meant to smooth things over, ends their relationship. On assignment in Thailand with her disreputable ex, Daniel Cleaver - claiming to be a reformed man - they have a short dalliance, and she is arrested at the airport and temporarily jailed on the false accusation of drug smuggling before Mark, seemingly indifferent, comes to the rescue.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-11-10
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The Fight
Overview: Tina lives in a quiet seaside town but her life is anything but quiet - her mother is threatening to leave her father, her daughter is being bullied and she and her husband Mick are juggling full time jobs and three children. Determined to ditch the dysfunction and beat her inner demons, Tina puts on her fighting gloves - literally, stepping into the boxing ring to sweat out her anxieties and punch up her self-worth. But does she have what it takes to get her family off the ropes and emerge victorious?
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2019-03-15
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Shelter
Overview: When Ash and Wendie seek shelter from a downpour beneath the awning of a local butcher, this chance meeting won't be the only time their paths collide.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-10-13
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Chalet Girl
Overview: While working a job at an exclusive ski resort to support her Dad, Kim learns to snowboard and is so good at it that she enters a competition with a huge cash prize. She has to dig deep to overcome her fears, but her life gets more complicated through her spoken-for boss, Jonny.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-02-02
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Paddington 2
Overview: Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.
Genres: Adventure Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-11-09
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The Angina Monologues
Overview: Victoria Wood takes to the stage with an all female bill for a night of comedy in support of The British Heart Foundation to help raise awareness of heart disease in women.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-12-10
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Songbird
Overview: Joanne, lead singer of the once-popular 1990s Britpop band the Filthy Dukes, mistakenly enrolled in university after a drunken night out with her friend Sara. Determined to give the young students a run for their money as a party animal, she finds they aren’t interested in rock ’n’ roll. However, love and new beginnings might be on the cards for rocker Joanne.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-06-28
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Swing Kids
Overview: The story of a close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany who listen to banned swing music from the US. Soon dancing and fun leads to more difficult choices as the Nazis begin tightening the grip on Germany. Each member of the group is forced to face some tough choices about right, wrong, and survival.
Genres: Music Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1993-03-05
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Nativity Rocks!
Overview: The staff and students at St. Bernadette's Primary School audition for a coveted place in a spectacular rock musical competition.
Genres: Family Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-11-23
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Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Overview: Miranda Hart and the cast of her sitcom come together to celebrate the show's tenth anniversary with a music-filled, star-studded spectacular from the London Palladium.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2020-01-01
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Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
Overview: An adaptation of the folktale about a lonely boy, his beloved cat, and the hard decisions that come with their adventures.
Genres: Comedy Family Fantasy TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-01-01
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Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Overview: Roald & Beatrix, the tail of the curious mouse, a heart-warming Christmas film inspired by the true encounter between a six-year-old Roald Dahl and his idol Beatrix Potter. A magical story of what really can happen when you are brave enough to follow your dreams. Joining Dawn French who plays Beatrix, the cast includes Jessica Hynes, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Nina Sosanya, Bill Bailey and Nick Mohammed.
Genres: Family Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2020-12-24
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Joe's Crackers
Overview: It is Christmas Day in the Royle household and Barbara is up to her eyes in it, as Jim is out of action following an unfortunate incident in the precinct while Dave and Denise are feeling the effects of the recession the most, and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their gift of a fridge magnet.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-12-25
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The Golden Egg Cup
Overview: Jim and Barbara have received the gift of money from their children - but what to do with it? Barbara wants to finally go abroad, while Jim favours buying an HD satellite box.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-12-25
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The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Overview: Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash discuss the creation of The Royle Family, with a look behind the scenes at the production of the show and interviews with the cast.
Genres: Documentary Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-11-10
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Seagull
Overview: After 8 years survival on a beach, Rose returns to her hometown to settle unfinished business.
Genres: Thriller Drama Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2019-11-03
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We Love Sitcom
Overview: Panel quiz show hosted by Ben Miller, featuring a selection of sitcom stars who, split into teams, battle it out by testing their knowledge on British sitcoms past and present.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-09-09
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Paddington in Peru
Overview: Paddington travels to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.
Genres: Family Comedy Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2024-11-08
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