DreamWorks Animation is the producer of the upcoming animated martial arts comedy Kung Fu Panda 4, which is released by Universal Pictures. It is the follow-up to Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and the fourth entry in the Kung Fu Panda series. With Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ke Huy Quan joining the cast, the film is directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane all reprise their roles from the previous movies.
Before the third Kung Fu Panda movie came released in January 2016, questions were directed towards directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni. Nelson responded to those inquiries in August 2018 and said she was interested to directing a fourth Kung Fu Panda movie. In August 2022, DreamWorks formally revealed that by April 2024, Mitchell, Ma Stine, and Rebecca Huntley will be attached as director, co-director, and producer, respectively, for the fourth movie. After Awkwafina’s casting in May 2024, the majority of the main voice cast was revealed in December of the same year.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on March 8, 2024.
Premise:
who is about to take over as the Valley of Peace’s Spiritual Leader looks for his replacement as the new Dragon Warrior while battling a brand-new adversary known as “The Chameleon.”[1]
Development:
On December 3, 2010, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation at the time, hinted that Kung Fu Panda 3 would be the first of three more sequels in the series, making a total of six films.[5] The producers of Kung Fu Panda 3 were questioned by Collider on January 13, 2016, regarding the potential for a fourth movie. “It’s one at a time,” co-director Jennifer Yuh Nelson declared. Our goal is to create the ideal jewel, and we’ll monitor its progress thereafter. “With the sequels, we don’t want to try to have them feel open-ended,” stated co-director Alessandro Carloni. We want the film to feel like a full voyage, and we think it delivers. And then, excellent, if a wonderful tale emerges.[6] When: August 2, 2018
DreamWorks Animation declared in August 2022 that Kung Fu Panda 4 was under production.[8] Additional information on the movie was disclosed at CinemaCon in April 2024, including Jack Black’s description of the plot.[9] Additionally, it was revealed that Rebecca Huntley would produce, Stephanie Ma Stine would serve as co-director, and Mike Mitchell would serve as the film’s director.[10]
It will be one of the final two movies produced wholly on-site at DreamWorks Animation’s Glendale campus, along with The Wild Robot.[11] As part of a layoff announced by Chief Operating Officer Randy Lake in a series of meetings the previous month, Cartoon Brew revealed in October 2024 that DreamWorks was shifting away from making films internally and toward relying more heavily on outside studios after 2024. The rumor claims that Dog Man from DreamWorks and two more untitled 2025 projects will be animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks.[11]
Voice cast:
- Jack Black as Po, a giant panda who is set to become a spiritual leader after renouncing his title as the Dragon Warrior.[2]
- Awkwafina as Zhen, a corsac fox who is a thief and accompanies Po on his journey.[2]
- Viola Davis as The Chameleon, an evil shapeshifting chameleon sorceress who can copy the kung fu of others by absorbing their abilities.[2]
- Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, a red panda and Po’s wise master.[2]
- James Hong as Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive Chinese goose father.[2]
- Bryan Cranston as Li Shan, Po’s biological giant panda father.[2]
- Ian McShane as Tai Lung, a snow leopard who was Shifu’s adopted son and former disciple until he turned to evil. He was vanquished by Po in the first film, but is brought back from the Spirit Realm by the Chameleon.[2]
- Ke Huy Quan as Han, a Sunda pangolin who is a leader of a den of thieves.[2]
- Lori Tan Chinn as Granny Boar, a boar that can take out her tusks and use them as weapons.[3]
- Ronny Chieng as a fish boat captain that lives in a pelican’s mouth.[3]
- Director Mike Mitchell stated that Masters Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper—known collectively as the Furious Five—will make an appearance in the film and that they are “off on their own individual missions”, with producer Rebecca Huntley confirming that there will be “a glimpse of the Furious Five”.[3][4]
Writing and animation:
Mitchell called Kung Fu Panda 4 an homage to the original movie.[3][12] He intended the novel to stand alone, even if it had ties to earlier books in the series.[12] He also intended to add new characters, broaden the franchise’s universe, and develop Po’s character.[13] He felt that Po had a binary perspective on the world and that Zhen, who had a more nuanced moral compass, would be a better fit for Po. Mitchell also desired a character who could frustrate Po in the same way that he frustrates Shifu.[3]
Mitchell tried to create the Chameleon a more cerebral than physical enemy.[3] He continued by saying that she is the most cunning and otherworldly opponent Po has encountered.[4][12] He compared Chameleon to Po, saying that both figures achieved great prestige while being viewed negatively by society due to their physical appearance. He said, “So Po has become the greatest hero, and now she’s the greatest villain.”[12]
Mitchell claims that compared to other movies in the series, the action scenes in the movie showcased more anime influence and showcased advancements in both technology and kung fu [3].[12] Marvel movie stunt actors joined the cast to provide the animators with motions to study and incorporate into their choreography.[3]
Casting:
It was announced in May 2024 that Awkwafina has joined the movie’s voice cast.[14] It was revealed in December 2024 that Viola Davis, who plays the antagonist in the movie The Chameleon, and Ke Huy Quan would be joining the cast.[15]In addition, Lori Tan Chinn and Ronny Chieng were revealed as new cast members [16], with Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Bryan Cranston, and James Hong all returning from their previous roles.[2][17]
Marketing:
In November 2024, Po made a reappearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to promote the movie.[19] On December 13, 2024, the movie’s poster and trailer were unveiled. In the first 24 hours on social media, the trailer had over 142 million views, making it the most watched trailer ever for an animated Universal picture, exceeding previous records held by The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Sing 2, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.[20]
Home media:
The movie will stream on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, then go to Netflix for the following ten, and then return to Peacock for the final four, as per Universal’s agreement with Netflix.[21][22]
