Po (Jack Black) in Kung Fu Panda 4 directed by Mike Mitchell.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is having a fantastic run at the box office. If you’ve finished the fourth movie, you might be wondering whether there will be a Kung Fu Panda 5. Here’s what to know about the future of the popular animated kids franchise.
Starring Jack Black, Kung Fu Panda 4 premiered in theaters on March 8. Black returned as the beloved Panda named Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, who was chosen to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. However, a wicked sorceress, a Chameleon (Viola Davis) who can shape-shift, wants the Staff of Wisdom so she can re-summon all the master villains whom Po previously vanquished to the spirit realm.
With the help of a thieving fox (Awkwafina), Po and his unlikely friend venture on a journey to protect the Valley of Peace. Stars Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane returned to voice their characters in the film, while Ke Huy Quan joined the cast as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.
During opening weekend, Kung Fu Panda 4 made $59 million domestically — marking the second-biggest debuted for the Kung Fu Panda series. Internationally, the film brought in $22.2 million, bringing its worldwide first weekend total to $80.5 million. The fourth film also impressibly dethroned Dune: Part Two on its second weekend win a narrow lead of around $30 million.
With Kung Fu Panda 4’s success, what are the odds of a fifth movie? Pretty good. The film’s director just gave a promising update about the future of the beloved franchise — including what Kung Fu Panda 5 could be about. Keep reading to learn more.
Will There Be A Kung Fu Panda 5?
Po (Jack Black) in Kung Fu Panda 4 directed by Mike Mitchell.
Will there be a Kung Fu Panda 5? Universal Pictures has not yet confirmed a fifth Kung Fu Panda film. However, director Mike Mitchell told The Direct that while he wants to do another movie, “The Furious Five” would be “front and center.”
As for what Kung Fu Panda 4 could be about, he pointed to a fun plot point from Kung Fu Panda 3. “This is my very strange, weird, nerdy wish. But in Kung Fu Panda 3, which I executive produced, a guy came up with a gag, and it’s in the film, where Po... looked up, and hanging on the wall, he’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Master Dolphin’s armor, and you see this Dolphin armor that’s hanging up on the wall. And that just blew my mind. I was like, ‘There’s a whole underwater world for Kung Fu Panda?’”
The director added that he’d love to see more “aquatic animals” in the franchise moving forward. “Is there an ocean with, you know, animals that are fighting kung fu? And so that’s really what led us to the idea of Ronny Chieng as the fish inside the pelican’s mouth...,” he continued. “And then our Stingray fight at the beginning came from that Master Dolphin armor joke that was just a random storyboard joke... And so I always think, what’s it like in an ocean in a ‘Kung Fu Panda’ world, but I don’t know if that’s possible. It’s probably too expensive. No idea what the story would be.”
Mitchell said he’d also like to see more bugs in another sequel. “I love it that Seth Rogan’s character is Mantis. And he’s, like, the only bug you see. And I’m like, there’s a whole bunch of bugs in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ world,” he said. “So again, I honestly think, I mean, just with the Furious Five alone, this franchise can go on and on and on if it wants to. If the fans want it, rather, I should say.”
Meanwhile, Kung Fu Panda 4 co-director Stephanie Ma-Stine told Variety that “this is definitely not the end of Po’s story” and fans should “look forward to more.”
Kung Fu Panda 4 was released eight years after the third film, so hopefully, viewers won't have to wait that long. Stay updated to learn more about Kung Fu Panda 5.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is streaming in theaters.
