London could soon become unbearable.

Because of — well… — bears.

Paddington bears, specifically. Fifty 5-foot-tall statues of Paddington in a variety of outfits will be installed all over the city, making up the Paddington Trail, which opens Nov. 4.

Way in time to foment excitement and even more buzz for “Paddington” the movie, which premieres Nov. 28 in the U.K. and on Christmas Day here in the United States.

The British have definitely gone overboard on this project. They are, after all, used to treacle.

And I believe 50 Paddington statues dressed in everything from sparkles to Elizabethan puffy shirts qualifies as treacly. That’s before all the signage, the paw prints, the souvenirs.

They’re taking Paddington, a veritable icon of the city (despite being from Peru), for all he’s worth — not even waiting for the movie to come out before touting the movie-related tourism products.

A history of film-inspired tourism

Then again, VisitLondon and VisitBritain have had some experience with these movie-related travel frenzies. The “Harry Potter” series, for instance, spawned all manner of attractions and themed tours. A 2012 study by Oxford Economics, one of the world’s leading providers of economic analysis and advice, estimated the U.K. film industry generates about $3.4 billion in tourism revenues annually. The U.K. has the movie-site maps and apps production down pat.

And when you consider the new Paddington film has more than 294,000 “likes” on Facebook and it hasn’t come out yet, I guess the Paddington Trail can’t miss. (Its producer and its special effects team are Potter alumni);

Riddling city streets with artistically decorated statues isn’t much of a gamble, either. The idea of enlisting artists to personalize one model statue — usually an animal — began with the “cow parade” in Switzerland in 1998. They livened up the place, and after the show was over, the statues were auctioned to raise money for a charity.

Such will be the case with the Paddingtons when they are removed at the end of December; proceeds will go to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a U.K.-wide charity.

Celebrity backing

But the number and sheer celebrity power behind the Paddington Trail project puts this effort in a class by itself and is sure to raise pounds and pounds of funds, not to mention interest in London, the movie and more plush toys (and the latest merchandise).

The organizers — VisitLondon has partnered with StudioCanal, a co-producer and distributor of movies and TV in Europe — have enlisted an amazing roster of celebrities to provide inspiration and design ideas for the bears. There are the stars from the film, of course, Hugh Bonneville, Peter Capaldi, Nicole Kidman, Julie Walters and Ben Whishaw.

Additional designers come from all fields — former soccer player David Beckham, fashion designers Christopher Kane and Lulu Guinness, director Guy Ritchie, musicians Nick Mason and Frankie Bridge, Royal Ballet principal dancer Darcey Bussell, artists Matthew Williamson, Inkie, Tom Phillips and Hannah Warren, explorer and survival expert Bear Grylls, the Chelsea soccer team, the England rugby union team and London’s mayor, Boris Johnson. Actor Michael Sheen’s creation, Paddington Shakesbear (combining his love for the Bard and the bear, he said), was recently unveiled.

The bears will be installed near museums, parks, shops and landmarks that are Paddington favorites. Bonneville points out that “Paddington is an explorer — this trail is a wonderful way of bringing this to life, and I hope it makes people look at London with fresh eyes.”

You will be able to download the trail map (along with suggested minitrails) at VisitLondon.com/Paddington. You’ll also be able to upload your own photos of sites along the trail — selfies at Selfridges, anyone?

Selfridges is the trail’s “retail partner” and will be selling miniatures of the statues (for those who can’t afford the life-size version). They, too, are going all-out, with a dedicated Paddington concept store (The Paddington Curiosity Shop) showcasing a variety of Paddington-related products and artifacts. The merchandise will also help raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Anything that raises funds for a good cause is fine with me. Even if I’m not a fan of this particular bear, I respect his massive draw — 50 million books sold worldwide, his own line of Baby Gap clothing, postage stamps — and Prince William owns and wears a Paddington-patterned apron!

I’m sure it’s just me who finds Paddington a bit overexposed to the public. Obviously most of the world can’t get enough of the bear from deepest, darkest Peru. Still, I’m imagining the newest wave of Pad-mania. I remember 10 years ago, maybe, taking a spin around the shops at Heathrow before departing for home, and stopping to consider the shelves full of Paddington plush toys.

I hadn’t read the books, but I’d understood he was as iconic as, say, Big Ben, in these parts. Maybe buying a bear was an imperative. Maybe I would look back on this ursine purchase in the years to come with fondness, a flood of memories of the time spent in London.

I looked at the bears, in fireman outfits, bobby uniforms, adventurer tans and greens. There were small ones, nubby-fabric ones, plaid ones. Boxed sets of two. Snow globes, I think. Every one was cute. Cute, cute, cute. So many artfully cute bears that, after about five minutes of paralyzing indecision, I realized looking at the parade of Paddingtons was actually an unpleasant experience.

I left empty-handed. My heart belongs to Winnie — the Pooh ceramic soup bowl and Hunny socks still make me smile, even a dozen years after they were purchased.

The Paddington overload at Heathrow is what I fear will happen in London. Everywhere tourists go, the bear is sure to be there already. Like Zelig. Or Chucky.

Don’t laugh. The first trailers for “Paddington” seem to be shaking up the bear’s longstanding image: Many who have viewed the live-action version of Paddington, who looks a lot more like the real spectacled bear species to which he supposedly belongs — say Paddington gives them the creeps. Of course, there’s now a “Creepy Paddington” meme, loved and/or friended by legions.

Which might not only help with the oversentimentality of the trail, but could also remind us that really, what the heck is a bear doing in London with an upscale family of humans? I mean, you don’t keep wild animals in apartment buildings.

I smell a sequel.