| Kung Fu Panda | |
| Creator: | Ethan Reiff Cyrus Voris |
| Origin: | Kung Fu Panda (2008) |
| Owner: | DreamWorks Animation (Universal Pictures) |
| Years: | 2008–present |
| Tv Specials: | Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010) |
| Vgs: | List of video games |
Kung Fu Panda is an American martial arts comedy media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated film of the same name produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily voiced by Jack Black and Mick Wingert), a giant panda who is improbably chosen as the prophesied Dragon Warrior and becomes a master of kung fu, the franchise is set in a fantasy wuxia genre version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals. Although everyone initially doubts him, including Po himself, he proves himself worthy as he strives to fulfill his destiny.
The franchise consists mainly of four animated films: Kung Fu Panda (2008), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), as well as three television series: (2011–2016), The Paws of Destiny (2018–2019), and The Dragon Knight (2022–2023). The first two films were distributed by Paramount Pictures, the third film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and the fourth was distributed by Universal Pictures, while the television series respectively aired on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Five short films, Secrets of the Furious Five (2008), Secrets of the Masters (2011), Secrets of the Scroll, Panda Paws (both 2016), and Dueling Dumplings (2024), and a television special, Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010), have also been produced.
The franchise's first two features were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as numerous Annie Awards, the first television series won 11 Emmy Awards and the third television series won two Emmy Awards. All four films were critical and commercial successes,[1] grossing over $2 billion overall, making it the seventh highest-grossing animated film franchise, while the second film was the highest-grossing film worldwide directed solely by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson) until Wonder Woman (2017). The series is additionally popular in China as an outstanding Western interpretation of the wuxia film genre.[2]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda | June 6, 2008 | John Stevenson and Mark Osborne | Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger | Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris | Melissa Cobb |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | May 26, 2011 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | January 29, 2016 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni | |||
| Kung Fu Panda 4 | March 8, 2024 | Mike Mitchell | Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke | Rebecca Huntley | |
Po, a clumsy panda bear, is a kung fu fanatic who lives in the Valley of Peace and works in his goose father Mr. Ping's noodle shop, unable to realize his dream of learning the art of kung fu. One day, a kung fu tournament is held for the elderly spiritual leader of the valley, Grand Master Oogway, to determine the identity of the Dragon Warrior, the one kung fu master capable of understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll, which is said to contain the key to limitless power. Everyone in the valley expects the Dragon Warrior to be one of the Furious Five—Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane—a quintet of kung fu warriors trained by Master Shifu to protect the valley. To everyone's surprise, Oogway chooses Po, who has accidentally stumbled into the tournament arena after arriving late via fireworks explosion.
Refusing to believe that Po can be the Dragon Warrior, Shifu subjects Po to torturous training exercises in order to discourage him into quitting. Determined to change himself into someone he can respect, Po perseveres in his training and befriends the Furious Five, who had previously mocked Po for his lack of skill in kung fu. Po soon learns that the valley is being approached by Tai Lung, an evil kung fu warrior who has escaped from prison to take revenge for being denied the Dragon Scroll, and despairs he will be unable to defeat him. However, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of martial arts when motivated by food, and successfully trains him to learn kung fu. After his training is complete, Po is given the Dragon Scroll, which he discovers to be blank. However, Po realizes that the key to limitless power lies within himself, allowing him to defeat Tai Lung and restore peace to the valley.
Po now lives his dream as a kung fu master and protects the Valley of Peace alongside the Furious Five. However, he is thrown into internal conflict when he begins having flashbacks of his mother and learns from Mr. Ping that he was adopted as an infant. Shortly after, Po and the Five are sent on a mission to stop the evil peacock Lord Shen from using a newly developed weapon, the cannon, to conquer all of China and destroy kung fu tradition. Po remains tormented by thoughts of being abandoned by his real parents until he is guided by a wise old soothsayer to embrace his past, and remembers that his parents risked their lives to save him from Shen, who had set out to exterminate all pandas after learning of a prophecy that he would be defeated by "a warrior of black-and-white". Po achieves inner peace, which allows him to destroy Shen's new weapon, defeat Shen, and accept Mr. Ping as his father. However, during the last scene of the movie, it shows Po's biological father realizing his son is alive.
Shortly after the events of the second film, Shifu relinquishes his duties as master of the Jade Palace to Po, claiming that the next step of his own apprenticeship is to oversee the Furious Five's training. While struggling with this new responsibility, Po rejoices upon reuniting with his biological father, Li, though Mr. Ping is less enthusiastic. However, news arrives that the spirit warrior General Kai has returned to the mortal realm and is 'collecting' Kung Fu masters from all over China, both living and dead, to serve in his army of Jade Zombies. Po and the others discover from a scroll left by Oogway that Kai can only be defeated by the power of Chi, a technique known only by the panda colonies; thus, Po and Li set to the secret Panda Valley in order to have Po learn it. Po eventually discovers, to his horror, that Li had deceived him, because the pandas have long forgotten about how to manipulate the Chi, and he just wanted to protect his son from Kai. Once making amends with both his adoptive and biological fathers, Po joins forces with Ping, Tigress, and the pandas to make a stand against Kai, all mastering the power of Chi in the process and using its power to destroy him for good. After returning to the Valley of Peace, Po spends his days spreading the teachings of Kung fu and Chi.
Shifu tasks Po to retire as the Dragon Warrior and find a successor as he must advance to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Disappointed, he struggles to find the right candidate angering Shifu. He later spots a corsac fox and thief named Zhen entering the Jade Palace and sends her to prison but soon learns that Tai Lung has returned. Zhen reveals that it wasn't actually Tai Lung but a shapeshifting sorceress named The Chameleon. Po decides to go after her and Zhen agrees to lead him to the Chameleon in exchange for a reduction of her sentence. They both head towards Juniper City and there, Po finds that Zhen is a wanted criminal, leading to both of them getting arrested. They successfully escape to the Den of Thieves where Zhen reunites with her old mentor Han who allows them to stay there for one day. Po and Zhen then enter Chameleon's lair, where Zhen betrays Po, takes the Staff of Wisdom and gives it to the Chameleon, who is revealed to be her master. Po manages to escape without the staff but Chameleon, who has shapeshifted into Zhen, throws him off of the cliff and Po gets saved by his adoptive and biological father. The Chameleon uses the staff to summon every martial arts master from the Spirit Realm, stealing their kung fu abilities and locking them in cages. Zhen decides to deflect away from Chameleon and reunites with Po. Zhen later manages to convince the Den of Thieves to help her out in saving Po. Zhen and Po defeat the Chameleon and return the stolen Kung fu to their masters. Po sends them back to the spirit realm with Tai Lung taking the Chameleon with him. At the Valley of Peace, Po chooses Zhen as the next Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five joins him in training her.
In May 2024, following the critical and commercial success of Kung Fu Panda 4, Mitchell suggested that a fifth film could happen, but it would likely not be until at least 2027 due to the lengthy production process.[3]
Kung Fu Panda Holiday (also known as Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special) is a 2010 television special that premiered on NBC on November 24. It tells a story of Po, who is assigned to host the annual Winter Feast by Master Shifu, despite his wishes to spend the holiday with Mr. Ping.
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness is an animated television series based on the Kung Fu Panda film series, set between the first two films. The show was originally intended to premiere in 2010, but was delayed and officially launched on Nickelodeon on November 7, 2011. Of the series's voice cast, only Lucy Liu, Randall Duk Kim, and James Hong reprise their roles from the films as Viper, Oogway, and Mr. Ping, respectively. The first season, consisting of 26 episodes, ended on April 5, 2012. The second season aired from April 6, 2012, to June 21, 2013, and also consisted of 26 episodes. A third season consisting of 28 episodes began airing June 24, 2013, going on an extended hiatus after June 22, 2014, before airing its last 10 episodes two years later, from February 15 to June 29, 2016, as a tie-in to the theatrical run of Kung Fu Panda 3.
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny is the second Kung Fu Panda animated series, set after the events of Kung Fu Panda 3. Across 26 episodes produced by DreamWorks Animation Television with Amazon Studios and ordered, and aired by Amazon Prime Video, the series was released in its 13-episode first season's first part on November 16, 2018, and its 13-episode first season's second and final part on July 4, 2019.[4] The series follows Po on a fresh adventure, mentoring four young pandas (Nu Hai, Jing, Bao and Fan Tong), who happen upon a mystical cave beneath the Panda Village - and accidentally absorb the chi of the ancient and powerful Kung Fu warriors known as the four constellations. The four friends realize that they now have a new destiny - to save the world from an impending evil with their new-found Kung Fu powers. They are aided along their journey by Po, who finds himself faced with his biggest challenge yet - teaching this ragtag band of kids how to wield their strange powers.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight is the third Kung Fu Panda animated series, which premiered on Netflix on July 14, 2022, with Jack Black reprising his role as Po.[5] [6] The series follows Po as he must leave his home behind and embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight known as the Wandering Blade. Rita Ora joined the cast as Wandering Blade and James Hong reprised his role as Mr. Ping.[7]
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five, or simply Secrets of the Furious Five, is an animated short film that serves as a semi-sequel (or spin-off) to Kung Fu Panda and appears on a companion disc of the original film's deluxe DVD release. It was later broadcast on NBC on February 26, 2009, and is available as a separate DVD as of March 24 the same year. The film has a framing story of Po (in computer animation), telling the stories of his comrades in arms, the Furious Five, which are depicted in 2D cel animation.
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters is an animated short film released on December 13, 2011, as a special feature attached to the Kung Fu Panda 2 DVD and Blu-ray. It tells the backgrounds of the masters of Gongmen City: Thundering Rhino, Storming Ox, and Croc.[8]
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll is an animated short film officially released as a bonus feature in the Kung Fu Panda: Ultimate Edition of Awesomeness Blu-ray pack in January 2016.[9] Secrets of the Scroll details the forming of the Furious Five, and their first fight together against a common enemy. Unlike previous Kung Fu Panda short films, Secrets of the Scroll has yet to be released on its own DVD or Blu-ray.
Panda Paws is a short film that was released with the home media of Kung Fu Panda 3. Panda Paws involves the character Mei Mei (voiced by Kate Hudson) competing with Bao at the "Spring Festival". A version of the short was previously released in theaters preceding the DreamWorks Animation film Home in 2015, with Rebel Wilson voicing Mei Mei, prior to her firing from Kung Fu Panda 3.[10]
Dueling Dumplings is a short film that was released with the home media of Kung Fu Panda 4. It involves Po and Zhen offering each other dumplings from their respective homelands. They bicker over whose are better and try to force each other to try them. After a playful battle, they end up tasting each other's dumplings and end up liking them.
| Character | Films | Short films | Television special | Television series | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda (2008) | Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) | Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) | Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) | Secrets of the Furious Five (2008) | Secrets of the Masters (2011) | Secrets Of the Scroll (2016) | Panda Paws (2016) | Dueling Dumplings (2024) | Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010) | Legends of Awesomeness (2011-2016) | The Paws of Destiny (2018-2019) | The Dragon Knight (2022-2023) | |
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda | |||||||||||||
| Po Ping / Li Lotus | Jack Black | Jack Black | Jack Black | Jack Black | Mick Wingert | Jack Black | |||||||
| Master Shifu | Dustin Hoffman | Dustin Hoffman | Fred Tatasciore | colspan="2" | |||||||||
| Tigress | Angelina Jolie | Tara Strong | Angelina Jolie | Kari Wahlgren | Angelina Jolie | Kari Wahlgren | |||||||
| Mantis | Seth Rogen | Seth Rogen | Max Koch | Seth Rogen | Seth Rogen | Max Koch | |||||||
| Monkey | Jackie Chan | Jaycee Chan | James Sie | Jackie Chan | James Sie | ||||||||
| Viper | Lucy Liu | Jessica DiCicco | Lucy Liu | Lucy Liu | colspan="2" | ||||||||
| Crane | David Cross | David Cross | David Cross | David Cross | Amir Talai | colspan="2" | |||||||
| Mr. Ping | James Hong | James Hong | James Hong | ||||||||||
| Oogway | Randall Duk Kim | Randall Duk Kim | Randall Duk Kim | Randall Duk Kim | Piotr Michael | ||||||||
| Tai Lung | Ian McShane | Ian McShane | André Sogliuzzo | ||||||||||
| Zeng | Dan Fogler | Dan Fogler | Mick Wingert | colspan="2" | |||||||||
| Commander Vachir | Michael Clarke Duncan | colspan="12" | |||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda 2 | |||||||||||||
| Lord Shen | Gary Oldman | ||||||||||||
| Soothsayer | Michelle Yeoh | colspan="11" | |||||||||||
| Wolf Boss | Danny McBride | colspan="11" | |||||||||||
| Storming Ox | Dennis Haysbert | Dennis Haysbert | colspan="7" | ||||||||||
| Croc | Jean-Claude Van Damme | Tony Leondis | colspan="7" | ||||||||||
| Thundering Rhino | Victor Garber | Paul Scheer | Jonathan Groff | colspan="3" | |||||||||
| Li Shan | Fred Tatasciore | Bryan Cranston | Christopher Swindle | ||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda 3 | |||||||||||||
| General Kai | J. K. Simmons | ||||||||||||
| Mei Mei | Kate Hudson | Kate Hudson Rebel Wilson | Chrissy Metz | ||||||||||
| Master Bear | Fred Tatasciore | Fred Tatasciore | |||||||||||
| Master Chicken | Stephen Kearin | colspan="10" | |||||||||||
| Bao | Steele Gangon | Steele Gangon | Gunnar Sizemore | ||||||||||
| Lei Lei | Liam Knight | colspan="10" | |||||||||||
| Grandma Panda | Barbara Dirickson | Barbara Dirickson | Amy Hill | ||||||||||
| Sum | Al Roker | colspan="10" | |||||||||||
| Dim | Willie Geist | colspan="10" | |||||||||||
| Big Fun | Wayne Knight | colspan="10" | |||||||||||
| Hom-Lee | colspan="10" | ||||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda 4 | |||||||||||||
| Zhen | Awkwafina | Awkwafina | colspan="4" | ||||||||||
| The Chameleon | Viola Davis | colspan="9" | |||||||||||
| Han | Ke Huy Quan | colspan="9" | |||||||||||
| Granny Boar | Lori Tan Chinn | colspan="9" | |||||||||||
| Captain Fish | Ronny Chieng | colspan="9" | |||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda Holiday | |||||||||||||
| Wo Hop | Jack McBrayer | colspan="3" | |||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | |||||||||||||
| Fung | John DiMaggio | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Hundun | Diedrich Bader | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Taotie | Wallace Shawn | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Bian Zao | Simon Helberg | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Fenghuang | Wendie Malick | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Junjie | Stephen Root | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Temutai | Kevin Michael Richardson | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Bao | Fred Tatasciore | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Peng | Danny Cooksey | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Chao | James Sie | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Jong Sung Jai Kai Chow | Wayne Knight | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Scorpion | Lynn Milgrim | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Lidong | Jim Cummings | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Hu | Neil Ross | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
| Ke-Pa | Alfred Molina | colspan="2" | |||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda: Paws of Destiny | |||||||||||||
| Nu Hai | Haley Tju | ||||||||||||
| Jing | Laya Deleon Hayes | ||||||||||||
| Fan Tong | Makana Say | ||||||||||||
| Jade Tusk | Cherise Boothe | ||||||||||||
| Rooster | Michael Rivkin | ||||||||||||
| Jindiao | Steve Blum | ||||||||||||
| Yaoguai Demon | Mitch Watson | ||||||||||||
| Princess Xiao | Lacey Chabert | ||||||||||||
| Shi Long | Sumalee Montano | ||||||||||||
| White Bone Demon | Elisa Gabrielli | ||||||||||||
| Sun Wukong | James Sie | ||||||||||||
Introduced in Kung Fu Panda The Dragon Knight | |||||||||||||
| Wandering Blade | Rita Ora | ||||||||||||
| Klaus | Chris Geere | ||||||||||||
| Veruca | Della Saba | ||||||||||||
| Rukhmini | Rahnuma Panthaky | ||||||||||||
| Akna | Melissa Villaseñor | ||||||||||||
| Colin | Ed Weeks | ||||||||||||
| Forouzan | Shohreh Aghdashloo | ||||||||||||
| Zhen | Stephanie Hsu | ||||||||||||
| Rabia | Kinza Khan | ||||||||||||
| Lao | James Sie | ||||||||||||
| Chuntao | Tru Valentino | ||||||||||||
| Weimin | Parry Shen | ||||||||||||
| Diya | Deepti Gupta | ||||||||||||
| Padma | Anjali Bhimani | ||||||||||||
| Jayesh | Sean T. Krishnan | ||||||||||||
| Pelpel | Harvey Guillén | ||||||||||||
| B'ah | Jorge Diaz | ||||||||||||
| Queen Zuma | Sarah-Nicole Robles | ||||||||||||
| Kyle | Richard Ayoade | ||||||||||||
| Master Mastodon | Martin Aistrope | ||||||||||||
| Nian | James Sie | ||||||||||||
| Changpu | Dayci Brookshire | ||||||||||||
| High Priestess | Rolonda Watts | ||||||||||||
| Shoddy Boat Owner | Nolan North | ||||||||||||
| The Queen of England | Barbara Goodson | ||||||||||||
| Drake | Mick Wingert | ||||||||||||
| Edgar | Billy Boyd | ||||||||||||
| Duncan | Nicholas Guy Smith | ||||||||||||
| Benny | Keith Ferguson | ||||||||||||
| Lucinda | Toks Olagundoye | ||||||||||||
| Kemanzi | Kineta Kunutu | ||||||||||||
| Sir Alfred | Omid Abtahi | ||||||||||||
| Master Sloth | Sean Astin | ||||||||||||
| Master Longtooth | Kineta Kunutu | ||||||||||||
| Master Ostrich | Kenna Ramsey | ||||||||||||
| Role | Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | ||
| Composers | Hans Zimmer | Hans Zimmer & Steve Mazzaro | |||
| Editor | Clare Knight | Christopher Knights | |||
| Animation Studio | DreamWorks Animation | ||||
| Distributor | Paramount Pictures | 20th Century Fox | Universal Pictures | ||
| Running time | 91 min | 90 min | 95 min | 94 min | |
The film series has grossed over $2.3 billion, making it the eighth highest-grossing animated franchise and DreamWorks Animation's second highest-grossing franchise behind Shrek.
| Film | Release date | Box office | Rank | Budget | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening weekend North America | North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America | All time worldwide | |||||
| Kung Fu Panda | $60,239,130 | $215,771,591 | $416,311,606 | $632,083,197 |
|
| $130 million | [11] | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | $47,656,302 | $165,249,063 | $500,443,218 | $665,692,281 |
|
| $150 million | [12] | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | $41,282,042 | $143,528,619 | $377,642,206 | $521,170,825 |
|
| $145 million | [13] | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 4 | March 8, 2024 | $57,989,905 | $193,590,620 | $354,229,410 | $547,820,030 |
|
| $85 million | [14] | |
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | $510 million | [15] [16] | ||||
Each Kung Fu Panda film has received positive reviews, with critics often praising the animation, voice acting, and character development.
| Critical | Public | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | ||
| Kung Fu Panda | [17] | 74 (36 reviews)[18] | [19] | |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | [20] | 67 (34 reviews)[21] | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | [22] | 66 (34 reviews)[23] | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 4 | 71% (160 reviews)[24] | 54 (33 reviews)[25] |
| Award | Category | Kung Fu Panda[26] [27] [28] | Kung Fu Panda 2[29] [30] [31] | Kung Fu Panda 3[32] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | ||||
| Annie Awards | Best Animated Feature |
Directed by entertainment director Franco Dragone, Kung Fu Panda: Arena Spectacular is an in-progress live arena show, featuring characters from the Kung Fu Panda. Combining circus and Chinese acrobatics as well as arena show effects, the production was supposed to be released around the same time of Kung Fu Panda 2.[39] After a multi city casting tour in 2010,[40] the production went behind closed doors until late 2011 when a new set of audition dates were announced for the following year.[41] However, shortly before the announced January 2012 auditions, both Franco Dragone and DreamWorks decided to postpone the live show's opening date, canceling all auditions.[42] No further announcements have been made since.
A themed area Po's Kung Fu Garden was opened in 2012 at DreamWorks Experience, one of the themed lands at the Australian theme park Dreamworld. At opening Po's Kung Fu Garden consisted only of a small area featuring a Po photo opportunity. In late 2012, additional rides and attractions were added to the area. All of the rides were moved to Ocean Parade since DreamWorks Experience was rethemed as Kenny and Belinda's Dreamland in 2023.[43]
A multi-sensory attraction, based on Kung Fu Panda, opened at the DreamWorks Theatre on June 15, 2018, at Universal Studios Hollywood.[44]
A Kung Fu Panda-themed children's play area opened at DreamWorks Water Park on October 1, 2020.[45]
Universal Studios Beijing also has a Kung Fu Panda themed area called Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, which opened alongside the park in September 2021.
Universal Studios Florida's upcoming DreamWorks Land will include the play area Po's Kung Fu Training Camp and the digital meet-and-greet Po Live!.[46]