Everyone’s favourite panda, Po, is back in theatres this weekend with the next instalment of his Kung Fu saga – ‘Kung Fu Panda 4‘. Coming in nearly 16 years after the first film introduced us to the noodle-making panda, and his rise to become the Dragon Warroir, this time, fans will see the him fulfill his destiny to become the next Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.To do that, he must find a successor for the Dragon Warrior, ensuring another butt-kicking adventure with past enemies coming with vengeance.
To delve deeper into the creative vision behind this highly anticipated instalment starring Jack Black, Awkwafina and Viola Davis, director Mike Mitchell in a statement to ETimes, uncovered the secrets and inspirations driving the latest chapter in the beloved franchise.
When you came in to direct Kung Fu Panda 4, what was your vision to try to elevate this animated action franchise?
Mike Mitchell: Every time I work on a franchise, especially when it’s one of my favorites, I want to remind everyone just how great that first film was. There’s a reason that Kung Fu Panda has stood the test of time and we’ve made a fourth one. So, one of the things we wanted to do was add even more action than we’ve already seen in this franchise, and we also wanted to introduce and explore new camera work that hasn’t been brought into animation yet—the kind of stuff you see in live-action films.
What can you say Jack Black brings to it all returning as the iconic character of Po, the unlikely but true hero of the story?
Mike Mitchell: Po is Jack Black. They are very similar and they are both very funny. Jack has this childlike quality where he’s kind of a fanboy at heart, and that’s exactly what Po is. When we made the first Kung Fu Panda, we really did try to design the character around Jack’s personality, and it’s only gotten more solid as these films grow. Jack Black is not only the funniest guy I’ve ever met, but he’s also a really terrific actor who finds the emotional core of each scene. In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po is that character you know and love from the first movie, but now we are taking him even further and putting him in situations and action you’ve never seen before.
Jack Black and Awkwafina have great chemistry as Po and Zhen respectively.
Mike Mitchell: Yes, having two very funny people like Jack and Awkwafina, that happen to be friends playing off each other and having a great time adlibbing—combined with the acting from Viola Davis—is pretty amazing. Not to mention, we’re bringing all the villains from the past movies back into this one and pulling them out of the Spirit Realm—Lord Shen, General Kai, and, of course, the great Tai Lung played by Ian McShane. They’re all coming back, and Po has to face them.
What about the new key character, The Chameleon?
Mike Mitchell: We are all huge fans of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and we realized there had never been a formidable female villain for Po to go up against, so we started there. And then we thought that even though we had seen many types of villains, we hadn’t had a supernatural one yet and we wanted to bring that element into it. So, we came up with someone that’s a shape shifter who could change her form. In a world filled with animals, she could become any. Then we asked ourselves, “Well, don’t chameleons change their look a lot?” That’s kind of what led us toward making her a chameleon and it turned out to be great because, like Po, who no one thought would become the Dragon Warrior, she was unassuming. No one thought a chubby panda could become the Dragon Warrior and do kung fu so well. Similarly, no one thought that a small chameleon could be so threatening and terrifying and have such powers. The Chameleon, precisely because she has supernatural powers, is the most epic villain we’ve ever had in the franchise.
What did Viola Davis bring to that role?
Mike Mitchell: So, we have an epic villain that is supernatural and a beautiful design, but then when you add Viola Davis’ voice to it, the character comes to life! You have no idea how much gravitas she brought to this little evil chameleon. Viola is the perfect voice for this supernatural and villainous role. She nails it because she is very self-assured, and that’s exactly how The Chameleon is. It was a perfect match.
What can the audience expect from Kung Fu Panda 4?
Mike Mitchell: This story really calls for a lot of extreme and fun kung fu action, plus phenomenal comedy that I love!
To delve deeper into the creative vision behind this highly anticipated instalment starring Jack Black, Awkwafina and Viola Davis, director Mike Mitchell in a statement to ETimes, uncovered the secrets and inspirations driving the latest chapter in the beloved franchise.
When you came in to direct Kung Fu Panda 4, what was your vision to try to elevate this animated action franchise?
Mike Mitchell: Every time I work on a franchise, especially when it’s one of my favorites, I want to remind everyone just how great that first film was. There’s a reason that Kung Fu Panda has stood the test of time and we’ve made a fourth one. So, one of the things we wanted to do was add even more action than we’ve already seen in this franchise, and we also wanted to introduce and explore new camera work that hasn’t been brought into animation yet—the kind of stuff you see in live-action films.
What can you say Jack Black brings to it all returning as the iconic character of Po, the unlikely but true hero of the story?
Mike Mitchell: Po is Jack Black. They are very similar and they are both very funny. Jack has this childlike quality where he’s kind of a fanboy at heart, and that’s exactly what Po is. When we made the first Kung Fu Panda, we really did try to design the character around Jack’s personality, and it’s only gotten more solid as these films grow. Jack Black is not only the funniest guy I’ve ever met, but he’s also a really terrific actor who finds the emotional core of each scene. In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po is that character you know and love from the first movie, but now we are taking him even further and putting him in situations and action you’ve never seen before.
Jack Black and Awkwafina have great chemistry as Po and Zhen respectively.
Mike Mitchell: Yes, having two very funny people like Jack and Awkwafina, that happen to be friends playing off each other and having a great time adlibbing—combined with the acting from Viola Davis—is pretty amazing. Not to mention, we’re bringing all the villains from the past movies back into this one and pulling them out of the Spirit Realm—Lord Shen, General Kai, and, of course, the great Tai Lung played by Ian McShane. They’re all coming back, and Po has to face them.
What about the new key character, The Chameleon?
Mike Mitchell: We are all huge fans of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and we realized there had never been a formidable female villain for Po to go up against, so we started there. And then we thought that even though we had seen many types of villains, we hadn’t had a supernatural one yet and we wanted to bring that element into it. So, we came up with someone that’s a shape shifter who could change her form. In a world filled with animals, she could become any. Then we asked ourselves, “Well, don’t chameleons change their look a lot?” That’s kind of what led us toward making her a chameleon and it turned out to be great because, like Po, who no one thought would become the Dragon Warrior, she was unassuming. No one thought a chubby panda could become the Dragon Warrior and do kung fu so well. Similarly, no one thought that a small chameleon could be so threatening and terrifying and have such powers. The Chameleon, precisely because she has supernatural powers, is the most epic villain we’ve ever had in the franchise.
What did Viola Davis bring to that role?
Mike Mitchell: So, we have an epic villain that is supernatural and a beautiful design, but then when you add Viola Davis’ voice to it, the character comes to life! You have no idea how much gravitas she brought to this little evil chameleon. Viola is the perfect voice for this supernatural and villainous role. She nails it because she is very self-assured, and that’s exactly how The Chameleon is. It was a perfect match.
What can the audience expect from Kung Fu Panda 4?
Mike Mitchell: This story really calls for a lot of extreme and fun kung fu action, plus phenomenal comedy that I love!
Kung Fu Panda 4 – Official Trailer
