You just can’t keep a good panda down! The Kung Fu Panda franchise has made Dreamworks over $1.8B worldwide, and yet they still waited eight years after Kung Fu Panda 3 to launch a new sequel. After revealing the new additions to the voice cast yesterday, including Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, and Viola Davis, today brings the first trailer for Kung Fu Panda 4.
What would Kung Fu Panda be without Jack Black voicing Po, the bouncy martial arts master who first debuted way back in 2008? Reprising their previous roles are Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Bryan Cranston, and James Hong.
Here’s the lengthy synopsis which also reveals details on the new characters:
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.
Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise is extensive, and there have been multiple shows set between sequels. The most recent, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, ran for three seasons on Netflix and concluded this year. I’m sure there are some completists out there who have seen every single one of Po’s adventures. This film seems to springboard directly out of the series’ events.
Directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls) and Stephanie Stine (She-Ra Princess of Power), Kung Fu Panda 4 hits theaters on March 8th 2024.