It’s been seven years since we last hung out with Po and the gang in Kung Fu Panda 3 but the wait will be over next year as Jack Black returns the world’s most unlikely kung fu master in Kung Fu Panda 4.
Watch the first trailer here…
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior, 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 (played by 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 (played by 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 Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master, Shifu; James Hong (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Po’s adoptive father, Mr. Ping; Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as Po’s birth father, Li, and Ian McShane (American Gods) as Tai Lung, Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis.
Ke Huy Quan (Loki) joins the ensemble as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls) and produced by Rebecca Huntley (The Bad Guys). The film’s co-director is Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power).
Kung Fu Panda 4 will be in UK cinemas on March 2024. Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow YouTube channel.
