Colin Firth's advancing his reputation as a cute and cuddly actor by playing a beloved bear.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor will voice the lead in Paddington, which will feature a mix of CG and live-action filmmaking to bring the world-famous storybook character to life. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Julie Walters are also set to star.

Paddington debuted in 1958 from writer Michael Bond, who penned a book called A Bear Called Paddington. The anthropomorphic hero travels to London from Peru where he's taken in by the Brown family. The book series racked up 20 entries and spawned several different cartoon versions as well.

Paul King (The Mighty Boosh) has signed on to direct Paddington, which will debut on Dec. 12, 2014.