A fourth Kung Fu Panda is coming to theaters in 2024, with some big new stars.
While this project was first announced almost 18 months ago, it’s now been confirmed that the movie is due out in theaters in just about three months — and with Jack Black back as the voice of the title character, the heroic panda Po.
In a social media video, Black also revealed two new additions to the cast: Viola Davis, who is voicing a chameleon who appears to be the villain of the new film, and Awkwafina. She doesn’t reveal her character in the video, but a press release says she’s playing “a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable.”
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Introduced in 2008, Kung Fu Panda has proven to be one of DreamWorks’ most lucrative franchises. In addition to three previous films, it has also spawned TV series, video games, merchandise, and theme park attractions. The cast of this fourth Kung Fu Panda also includes returning stars Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane. Ke Huy Quan is another new addition to the team; he plays “Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.”
Here is the new film’s official synopsis:
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.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is scheduled to open in theaters on March 8, 2024. The trailer for the film will premiere tomorrow.
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