It’s time to once again stock up on dumplings because Jack Black is back as Po, reprising his role as the rotund panda in Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight. The animated series comes from DreamWorks Animation six years after Kung Fu Panda 3, and will be shown on Netflix.
Kung Fu Panda began life back in 2008, with an all-star cast playing the Furious Five, a legendary band of ninja warriors – Angelina Jolie as Tigress, Jackie Chan as Mantis, Seth Rogen as Mantis, Lucy Liu as Viper and David Cross as Crane. Dustin Hoffman played Master Shifu, a red panda who trains Po. The first film made $630 million at the box office.
Two sequels followed in 2011 and 2016, making $665 million and $520 million, respectively. The Dragon Knight will follow a mysterious pair of weasels who set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons. Po (Black) must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for justice that involves him teaming up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. The two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to save the world from destruction.
Netflix and DreamWorks made the announcement on National Panda Day. The Kung Fu Panda movies are known for their surprisingly beautiful animation and sumptuous score, with Oogway Ascends being a particular highlight. It remains to be seen if the Netflix show can live up to the high standards of the movie trilogy.
DreamWorks has also just released a trailer for Puss in Boots 2, 11 years after the first movie, which was a spin-off from the Shrek franchise.
While we wait to find out when Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight will be released, check out our guide the best kids’ movies.