Jack Black is back as Po in Kung Fu Panda 4 and this time, he’s bringing along some new award-winning talent. It’s time for the Dragon Warrior himself to take the next step in his hero’s journey and become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. But before he can do that, he needs to deal with the villainous Chameleon, who is stealing kung fu powers. Po will turn to the aid of a sly little corsac fox, Zhen, and other new and returning characters to succeed in his mission.
For the fourth film in the epic animated martial arts franchise, Black will be joined by Oscar® winner Viola Davis as Chameleon, and Golden Globe winner Awkwafina as Zhen. Also joining in on the fun is Oscar® winner Ke Huy Quan, who will voice Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
The new trailer is typical Kung Fu Panda fun, with its trademark mix of martial arts action and irreverent comedy. There’s a reason that the Kung Fu Panda franchise is hugely popular amongst fans of all ages, earning more than $1.8 billion across three films since 2008. The Kung Fu Panda series has that perfect blend of action, fun and heart, and it’s great to see Po’s story continue. Of course, adding more incredible voice talent to its already excellent cast doesn’t hurt.
Check out the exciting new trailer below. Kung Fu Panda 4 premieres in theaters March 8, 2024!
KUNG FU PANDA – In theaters March 8, 2024
This spring, for the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: 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.
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 film features the voice talent of returning stars Academy Award®winner Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master, Shifu; James Hong (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Po’s adoptive father, Mr. Ping; Academy Award® nominee Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father, Li, and Emmy Award nominee Ian McShane as Tai Lung, Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis. Oscar® winner Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins the ensemble as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell (DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and produced by Rebecca Huntley (DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys). The film’s co-director is Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power). In 2008, the Academy Award®-nominated 2008 inaugural chapter, Kung Fu Panda, became DreamWorks Animation’s highest-grossing original animated film and launched a franchise that has earned more than $1.8 billion at the global box-office.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
