When it comes to animation studios, there are some true top dogs out there. Of course we could bring up all the amazing Disney movies, or the incredible Pixar films, but I’ve always loved DreamWorks Animation the most. The animation studio has produced some of my favorite film franchises of all time, from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise to Shrek.
But, there is one franchise that is continuing that I don’t think any of us were prepared for, and that, my friends, is Kung Fu Panda. The story is going to continue with Kung Fu Panda 4 after the release of the third movie back in 2016. Truly, it’s time we returned to the adventures of Po.
If you’re like me, however, you have plenty of questions – when is this movie going to come out? Who is going to star in it? What kind of story are we going to dive into? Fear not, as we know a few things about Kung Fu Panda 4. Let’s get into it.
What Is The Kung Fu Panda 4 Release Date?
Kung Fu Panda 4 has a release date of March 8, 2024, according to Deadline.
The release date was actually announced at the time of the announcement of the film itself, so it'll be ready our 2024 movie release schedule. This is major news for fans of the franchise, as we’re not going to have to wait that long for this to come out – really, less than a year, as long as it doesn’t get pushed back due to the WGA strike, but anything could happen.
2024 is already looking to be a great year for movies, especially in March, with releases such as the live-action adaptation of Snow White, as well as The Fall Guy, A Quiet Place: Day One and more, so I’m excited to see this movie added to that already packed schedule.
Jack Black Will Be Back As Po – But We’re Not Sure About The Rest Of The Cast
It would pretty much be a sin if Jack Black didn’t return to voice Po, the person who made that loveable Panda so, well, loveable in the first place, despite his clumsiness before becoming a kung fu master. And, during CinemaCon 2023 (via The Hollywood Reporter) Jack Black was the main person promoting the upcoming film and talking about his role, so we can confirm he’s going to be back.
Black was eager to talk about the plot of the film, which will get to in a bit, saying that it’s one of Po’s most dangerous missions yet – in his own dramatic way:
Po faces his biggest challenge ever. Will he survive?
Black has been having quite the career recently. He voices Bowser in the Super Mario Bros. Movie cast, and ended up inspiring that viral hit, “Peaches” that I am sure you have heard everywhere at this point.
The ultimate battle -- which DreamWorks franchise is the better one? Shrek or Kung Fu Panda?
Besides that, he’s also had roles in both Jumanji films, as well as Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and several smaller movies that showcased his talent. But, if we’re being honest, it’s great to see him return to a voice role that we all know he loves dearly.
However, one thing we’re not entirely sure of is who else is going to return for the franchise. If you can recall, the previous Kung Fu Panda movies had a huge cast full of stars. Some of the names you could see on the cast list include Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Bryan Cranston, and many, many more.
With no other cast confirmed, we can only hope that they’ll be back, so all we can really do is wait for casting news.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Will Follow Po Trying To Find The Next Dragon Warrior
If you were wondering where on earth they could take this story after the way Kung Fu Panda 3 ended, we have an answer. When Jack Black was speaking about the film at CinemaCon, he revealed what the story was going to be about – and it hints at Po taking on more of a leadership role this time around.
Po is now set to become more of a “spiritual leader” within the Valley of Peace, but in order to do that, he has to find a successor – someone who is worthy of becoming the Dragon Warrior. Now, he is the one who is doing the training for a whole new character.
That’s not the only thing Po has to face, though. In the fourth film, Po meets the Chameleon, a new villain who has probably one of the scariest powers I’ve ever heard of – he can summon past villains, meaning that (in Black’s words), “Po has to defeat every one of them.”
I don’t know guys. Honestly, I am pretty hyped for this movie. I remember how much I loved the villains of the Kung Fu Panda franchise and this just sounds like the ultimate one, but mix that with some of the past ones that I truly adore? This is going to be a wild ride, that is for sure.
Mike Mitchell Will Direct The Film
Also confirmed at CinemaCon 2023 was who is going to direct Kung Fu Panda 4, and that would be Mike Mitchell. This is a director who is seasoned with regards to animated movies, and has created some of the best ones from the last decade that fans from all over have loved to watch.
Some that you might recognize include The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the first Trolls film (which led to entire franchise), and Shrek Forever After (which is so much better than the third film). He’s also worked on other movies such as Sky High, Surviving Christmas, and more.
Mitchell won’t be the only one directing. Also confirmed at CinemaCon was that Stephanie Ma Stine was set as a co-director, someone who has worked in the film industry on movies such as Raya and the Last Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon, so it’ll be awesome to see her at the helm with Mitchell.
Where You Can Watch The Other Three Kung Fu Panda Movies
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like I need a refresher for all these Kung Fu Panda movies. And if you’re as excited about this upcoming film as I am, check out where you can stream them down below.
Kung Fu Panda follows Po on his journey when he is unexpectedly chosen as the next Dragon Warrior and must fulfill an ancient prophecy.
Stream Kung Fu Panda on Max.
Rent/Buy Kung Fu Panda on Amazon.
In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po and his friends are given an even bigger challenge when a villain, who is also a peacock, wants to take over all of China with a weapon that could prove deadly to the entire nation. Po needs to fight his past demons in order to succeed alongside his allies.
Rent/Buy Kung Fu Panda 2 on Amazon.
In Kung Fu Panda 3, Po goes on a journey where he discovers his birth father living in a secret Panda village, but his happiness must be put to the side in order to fight a spirit warrior that is intending to destroy the legacy of his former master, Oogway.
Stream Kung Fu Panda 3 on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Kung Fu Panda 3 on Amazon.
Can 2024 get her sooner? I need to see these villain fights, now!
