Jack Black Is Back As Po In The Kung Fu Panda 4 Trailer
If you're anything like me, you caught the first "Kung Fu Panda" way back in 2008, thought it was a cute and harmless way to spend 90 minutes, and only ever thought about it again whenever it played on FX. (You know, back in the days when "channel surfing" was actually still a thing. Look it up, kids.) But in the 15 years since, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks have pumped out two more big-screen sequels, three TV shows, four shorts, and even a holiday-themed TV special that, for all I know, have probably been the obsession of countless children over the years. In fairness, the idea of a kung-fu fighting panda is absolute IP gold, so I get it!
All this to say that, despite the overwhelming success of the movies, we actually haven't returned to the world of anthropomorphic, martial arts expert animals since "Kung Fu Panda 3" in 2016. That's probably because the threequel ended up as the lowest-grossing movie of the series, despite positive reviews and the fact that it was far from a flop. Whatever the case may be, Universal confirmed late last year that there would, in fact, be more kung fu fighting. "Kung Fu Panda 4" now brings back the ridiculously stacked cast of voice actors Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane for yet another adventure with Po in the Valley of Peace. This time, however, our veteran Dragon Warrior is taking on a new role as Spiritual Leader ... and this "retirement" might be somewhat short-lived, by the looks of it.
Universal and DreamWorks released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming fourth film, which you can check out above!
Kung Fu Panda 4 kicks its way to theaters in Spring 2024
Even Dragon Warriors have to find their sense of inner peace, no matter how ill-suited for the task they may be. After three epic adventures, "Kung Fu Panda 4" looks set to kick things up a notch or two as Po faces his biggest and most formidable threat yet.
In a premise that actually seems to take the nearly decade-long hiatus into consideration, Po is now hand-picked to the position of Spiritual Leader after a shockingly effective run as Dragon Warrior. But, as /Film reported earlier this year from CinemaCon, that promotion means picking his own replacement in the form of the fox Zhen (voiced by franchise newcomer Awkwafina). Such plans are complicated with the arrival of the Chameleon, a shapeshifting new antagonist (Viola Davis) whose plan involves summoning all the master villains Po previously defeated and sent to the spirit realm. Nothing short of a grand team-up between the buddy comedy duo of Po and Zhen, along with returning figures like Shifu, Mr. Ping, Li, and Tai Lung can hope to save the day. Excitingly, Ke Huy Quan also joins the cast as Han, leader of the Den of Thieves.
"Kung Fu Panda 4" comes from director Mike Mitchell (known for "Trolls" and "Shrek Forever After") and co-director Stephanie Ma Stine ("She Ra and the Princesses of Power") from a script by franchise veteran writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. The latest installment of the over $1 billion-grossing franchise comes to theaters on March 8, 2024.