Kung Fu Panda 4

“Kung Fu Panda 4” is a 2024 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It serves as the fourth installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and follows “Kung Fu Panda 3” (2016). Directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine (in her directorial debut), the screenplay is written by Darren Lemke alongside Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. The film is produced by Rebecca Huntley.

The voice cast includes returning stars Jack Black, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, and Bryan Cranston, with newcomers Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis. The plot centers on Po (Black) who must find and train his successor as the new Dragon Warrior. He teams up with fox bandit Zhen (Awkwafina) to defeat the evil sorceress The Chameleon (Davis), who aims to steal the kung fu abilities of all masters in China.

Discussions about a fourth Kung Fu Panda film began before the release of the third installment in January 2016. Jennifer Yuh Nelson expressed openness to a fourth film in August 2018. DreamWorks officially announced the fourth film in August 2022, with Mitchell, Ma Stine, and Huntley confirmed by April 2023. The return of the main voice cast and writers Aibel and Berger was announced in December 2023, with Awkwafina’s casting confirmed in May of that year. Darren Lemke’s involvement was confirmed in February 2024. Composer Hans Zimmer, who scored the previous three films, returned along with Steve Mazzaro. Additional production assets were sourced from Jellyfish Pictures.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” premiered at the AMC 14 Theater at The Grove in Los Angeles on March 3, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 8, 2024. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, grossing over $546 million worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024.

Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Trailer

Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Storyline

In the Valley of Peace, Po helps his fathers, Li Shan and Mr. Ping, open their new restaurant. Master Shifu then informs Po that he must advance and become a spiritual leader, meaning Po can no longer be the Dragon Warrior and must find a suitable successor. Po struggles with this decision as he doesn’t want to lose his status. He encounters Zhen, a corsac fox bandit, trying to steal ancient weapons from the Jade Palace. Po outsmarts Zhen and sends her to prison. However, mine workers inform Po that Tai Lung has returned and destroyed an entire quarry. Zhen reveals that Tai Lung’s return was orchestrated by The Chameleon, a sorceress who can shape-shift and copy kung fu skills by touch.

With Zhen’s help, Po travels to Juniper City to confront The Chameleon, unaware that his fathers are following them out of concern. They encounter a shifty tavern and fight off the inhabitants before arriving in Juniper City, where they are almost arrested but escape to the Den of Thieves. The den’s leader, Han, a close friend of Zhen, aids them. Po and Zhen head to The Chameleon’s lair, but Po is captured. It is revealed that Zhen was a double agent for The Chameleon, tasked with acquiring Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which grants access to the Spirit Realm. Po nearly escapes, but The Chameleon, disguised as Zhen, tricks him and throws him off a cliff. He is rescued by his fathers, who convince him that change can be good.

Using the staff, The Chameleon summons deceased kung fu masters and steals their skills, including those of Lord Shen, General Kai, and Tai Lung. After escaping, Zhen reunites with Po. Despite her betrayal, Po refuses to back down from facing The Chameleon. Zhen, Mr. Ping, and Li return to the Den of Thieves to seek help. They battle The Chameleon’s army of Komodo dragons. Po tries but fails to reason with The Chameleon, who then turns into a Chimera of several kung fu masters. Po gives Zhen the staff, trusting her. She defeats The Chameleon, and Po, pretending to be trapped, uses the staff to restore the stolen kung fu abilities to their rightful owners. The deceased masters show respect to Po and return to the Spirit Realm, taking The Chameleon with them.

Returning to the Valley of Peace, Po chooses Zhen as his successor, much to Shifu’s annoyance. Confident in his choice, Po and the Furious Five help train Zhen to become the next Dragon Warrior.

Box Office

• Budget
  • $85,000,000 (estimated)
• Gross US & Canada
  • $193,590,620
• Opening weekend US & Canada
  • $57,989,905
  • Mar 10, 2024
• Gross worldwide
  • $545,626,023

Technical Space

• Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
• Color
  • Color
• Sound mix
  • Dolby Digital
  • Dolby Atmos
  • Dolby Surround 7.1
  • IMAX 6-Track
  • Auro 11.1
  • D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1
  • DTS:X
  • 12-Track Digital Sound
• Aspect ratio
  • 1.85 : 1
  • 2.39 : 1

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