The Kung Fu Panda franchise from DreamWorks Animation, consists of two films: Kung Fu
Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2.
The first two were distributed by Paramount Pictures, while the third movie will be distributed
by 20th Century Fox.
Three shorts, Secrets of the Furious Five, Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special and Kung Fu
Panda: Secrets of the Masters, were also released.
A television series for Nickelodeon television network, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness,
premiered in the fall of 2011.
The franchise, set in a fantasy wuxia genre version of ancient China populated by humanoid
animals, features the adventures of Po Ping, a bumbling giant panda, who was improbably
chosen as the prophesied Dragon Warrior.
Although his status is initially doubted, Po proves himself worthy as he strives to
fulfill his destiny and learn about his past with his new friends.
The film series has been highly acclaimed with both features being nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as numerous Annie Awards while the television
series has won 9 Emmy Awards.
Furthermore, this acclaim is particularly enthusiastic in China, where the series is
hailed as not only an excellent contribution to the wuxia genre, but for it for having
an impressively knowledgeable understanding of Chinese culture and heritage for an American
movie production.
In addition, both films were the most successful animated feature film for their years and
the second is currently the biggest worldwide box office success for a movie directed solely
by a woman.
A third film, Kung Fu Panda 3, is set to be released in 2015.
Film series Kung Fu Panda
Po, a clumsy, overweight panda, 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
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 masters trained by Master Shifu
to protect the valley.
To everyone's surprise, Oogway chooses Po, who had accidentally stumbled into the tournament
arena after arriving late.
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 himself 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 he must fight 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.
Kung Fu Panda 2
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.
Kung Fu Panda 3
Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation CEO, announced in 2010 that "Kung Fu Panda actually
has 6 chapters to it."
Kung Fu Panda 3 was officially confirmed in July 2012 by Bill Damaschke, chief creative
officer for DWA.
The film will be made in China as a co-production between DreamWorks Animation and Oriental
DreamWorks, a Shanghai based studio, founded in 2012 as a partnership between DreamWorks
Animation and Chinese companies.
One third of the film will be made in China, and the rest at DWA.
The film is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and produced by Melissa Cobb, written by Jonathan
Aibel and Glenn Berger with Guillermo del Toro as executive producer.
It is set for a December 23, 2015 release date.
Future DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
has said that it is possible that the series could see 3 more sequels after Kung Fu Panda
3, bringing it to a six-film series.
Television series Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
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 first air in 2010, but it was delayed and officially
premiered 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.
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
episode.
A third season began airing June 24, 2013 and will also consist of 26 episodes.
Short films Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five is an animated short film that serves as a
semi-sequel 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, 2009.
The film has a framing story of Po, telling the stories of his comrades in arms, the Furious
Five, which are depicted in 2D cel animation.
Kung Fu Panda Holiday
Kung Fu Panda Holiday is a 2010 television special that premiered on NBC on November
24, 2010.
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: Secrets of the Masters
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters is an animated short film that was 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.
Secret of the Scrolls According to a 2013 interview with Sandro
Cleuzo, a character animator at DreamWorks Animation, a new traditionally animated Kung
Fu Panda short film is being worked on.
Kari Wahlgren, the voice of Tigress in Legends of Awesomeness, tweeted in December 2013 that
a Kung Fu Panda film, titled Secret of the Scrolls, was screened at DreamWorks.
Releases Box office performance
The films series grossed over $1.2 billion making the Kung Fu Panda franchise the eighth
highest-grossing animated franchise and the third highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation's
franchise behind Shrek and Madagascar.
Critical reception Cast and characters
A dark gray cell indicates the character does not appear in the film, special, or T.V.
series.
*(y) indicates the actor portrayed the role in a flashback scene when the character was
younger.
*(c) indicates a cameo appearance.
Crew Video games
Kung Fu Panda is a video game loosely based on the first film, released by Activision
in June 2008 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and
Xbox 360.
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors is a sequel to the video game Kung Fu Panda.
It was published by Activision on November 5 and December 5, 2008 for the Nintendo DS
and Wii, respectively.
Kung Fu Panda World is a virtual world game released on April 12, 2010.
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a video game that takes place after the events of the second film.
It was developed and published by THQ on May 23, 2011, for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3,
Wii and Xbox 360.
Arena show Directed by international entertainment director,
Franco Dragone, best known for Le Rêve and House of Dancing Waters, 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.
After a multi city casting tour in 2010, the production went behind closed doors until
late 2011 when a new set of audition dates were announced for the following year.
However, shortly before the announced January 2012 auditions, it was announced that both
Franco Dragone and DreamWorks had decided to postpone the live show's opening date,
canceling all auditions.
Themed land 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.
As of 2012 Po's Kung Fu Garden consists only of a small area featuring a Po photo opportunity.
In late 2012, additional rides and attractions were added to the area.
Chronology In order of the Kung Fu Panda franchise history:
Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
Kung Fu Panda Holiday Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
Kung Fu Panda 2 Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters
Kung Fu Panda 3 References
External links Official website