Bear We Go Again!

Hollywood has always had something of a love affair with bears - from teddies to grizzlies. They've featured in everything from animation flicks and live action features to documentaries and everything in between over the years. Even more so, in this century.  While tame and wild bears alike often feature in dramas and docus, it is the computer-generated ones who appear in live action features that often grab one's attention, with their lifelike-ness. Last year, we saw the changeling Beorn make an appearance in The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies. This year alone, two big projects are set to release - Paddington and Ted 2. Disney's Jungle Book is out in April next year. And come 2017, Warner Bros will put out their own version on the Rudyard Kipling story. Called Jungle Book: Origin, it will see Andy Serkis in the director's chair and as Baloo the bear. Yay! 

Here's looking at the live-action bears who were, are and will be part of our collective cinematic consciousness...

Paddington (16 January 2015)
Bear voiced by: Ben Whishaw
Michael Bond's Paddington Bear, comes to the big screen, through a combination of computer-generated imagery (CGI) by British company Framestore) and animatronics by Nick Dudman.
An earthquake renders a Peruvian bear homeless and he travels to London, egged on by his aunt, who through a previous encounter with an English explorer learnt about city life. When the young mild-mannered bear does arrive in the British capital, he finds out that not everything is as he imagined it would be. In the process he finds family with the Browns, who take care of him, while having a taxidermist hot on his trail.
The film, which released in the UK in November last year, has a current box office earnings pegged at $109.7 million. The film will release the same day and date as the US: this Friday.

Ted 2 (26 June 2015)
Bear voiced by: Seth MacFarlane
The sequel was announced as early as 2013. But very little is forthcoming, by way of details on the film, save for the fact that Amanda Seyfried will star while Mila Kunis takes a backseat in this instalment.
No details are out on the plot as yet, but Mark Wahlberg who plays John Bennett in the film has hinted at the bromance between his character and Ted's going "crazier than ever" and that they may "take it on the road".
Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman were also reported to be attached to the project, principal photography ended late last year and the film is now in post production.

The Jungle Book (April 2016)
Bear voiced by: Bill Murray (as Baloo)
Disney's kept quite the lid on this project, releasing a single image of concept art only lately since announcing the project in June, 2013. In that time, they've announced October 2015 as the film's release date, changing it recently to April 2016. We're carrying an image from the 1967 film as no publicity stills of this film are available yet.
Expectedly, it won't veer too far from its source material or from their own 1967 classic. Mowgli, will still be raised by wolves in an Indian jungle, with the lovable Baloo the bear and the watchful Bagheera the panther for company while keeping clear of Shere Khan.
A newcomer Neel Sethi plays Mowgli alongside stars like Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. The only thing that will be CG-animated will be the talking animals! And with Jon Favreau in the director's seat, only good things are expected from this project. In Disney's own words, this will be a film that "seamlessly binds live action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techiques... to create an enchanting world". Okay, then!

Ted (2012)
Bear voiced by: Seth MacFarlane
If Seth had had his way, this would've been an animation show, like his other creation Family Guy. Instead, Ted got to go live-action, thanks to work by visual effects facilities offered by Tippett Studio and Iloura.
About John Bennett, a little boy who gets his wish fulfilled thanks to a falling star, his teddy bear comes to life. And as John grows into manhood, Ted who was something of a celebrity in the boy's early years, has become something of a foul-mouthed roommate in his later years. Of course, things come to a head as they do in such stories, but only because John finds love in Lori, who is worried about Ted's bad influence on her man.
The film grossed around $549 million worldwide. A sequel just had to happen!

Yogi Bear (2010)
Bears voiced by: Dan Aykroyd (Yogi) and Justin Timberlake (Boo-Boo)
Rhythm & Hues provided the CGI for the bears in the film.
In this one, two talking brown bears who inhabit a wildlife reserve called Jellystone Park love stealing picnic baskets from campers. They try to steer clear of the park's ranger, Smith and his deputy Jones. But as a corrupt mayor tries to shut down the park, the bears try to help, only making matters worse. 
Made at a budget of $80 million, the film went on to make a surprising $201million. Critics panned it, but who cares, right? Even more surprising, the producers never bothered announcing a sequel.

The Country Bears (2002) 
Bear voiced by: Haley Joel Osment (Beary Barrington)
Based on the Disney attraction Country Bear Jamboree, this is one film that had everything working for it, yet did not work commercially. The film's animatronic bear suits came from JIm Henson's Creature Shop.
Beary is the number one fan of The Country Bears, an all-bear country rock band who broke up in 1991 after years of popularity. He lives with an all-human family that celebrates his differences and his 'mom' and 'dad' tell him they will love him no matter what, but he still feels "left out" because he's "different". Beary tries to get the Country Bears together, but finds it tougher than done. 
The film, Disney's second based on one of its theme park attractions was made at $35 million but made only $18,012,097 worldwide.