As we approach the 2024 movie schedule, it’s time to meet some familiar friends for another adventure. In the case of Dreamworks Animation and Universal Pictures’ Kung Fu Panda 4, we’ll be cinematically reunited with Jack Black’s titular hero Po for the first time since 2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3. So what’s new with our animal friend after almost eight years away? Oh nothing; just another potential apocalypse, and our Dragon Warrior getting to kick his own butt.
Dreamworks and Universal’s latest animated outing has finally released its first look at what we can expect this time out. While the trailer above puts everything into pretty decent perspective, here are some additional details that add to what we know about Kung Fu Panda 4:
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.
This is where Viola Davis’ new baddie, a Chameleon named…Chameleon, comes into play. As Po is caught in this predicament of passing the torch to his new friend Zhen (Awkwafina), he also need to make sure that Chameleon doesn’t get her hands on his Staff of Wisdom. What happens if he fails in this Kung Fu Panda 4 quest?
Well, as the official synopsis puts it, the staff would give Chameleon “the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.” So yeah, it could get pretty apocalyptic if our hero and his family, old and new, don’t prevent such a calamity from taking place. Also, this is where the Po kicking his own butt scenario comes into play, as we've seen Chameleon take his form and his catchphrase.
Kung Fu Panda 4 comes at a good time for both Jack Black, as well as Universal Studios. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie being 2023's first $1 billion movie, Black's show stealing performance as Bowser is still ringing in everyone's ears. So returning to a familiar face, on top of that residual hype, could deliver another hit of that kind in the new year!
Of course, the excitement for Kung Fu Panda 4’s new cast members is also being shared as a tease for the road ahead. In fact, an announcement video of both Awkwafina and Viola Davis’ roles was released into the world recently, and you can watch that clip for yourself, courtesy of Instagram, to see just how things kicked off:
Adventure is clearly in the air with this new project, which is already building on a cast that includes the returns of Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane. But with Davis, Awkwafina, and fellow newcomer Ke Huy Quan jumping into action, Kung Fu Panda 4 is only stoking those flames even higher with this first look.
It may not be a musical number in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but Jack Black's first reaction to "Peaches" might be the same as his feelings for this new trailer; in that he probably thinks it slaps. Should you be hungry for Kung Fu Panda 4, the film is set to break the boards and skadoosh another installment of heartfelt action comedy, starting March 8th. So it’s not too late to look at the rundown of upcoming movies, ready to help close out 2023 with a strong finale!
