Kung Fu Panda 4: Jack Black and Awkwafina Used Animated Improv

Kung Fu Panda 4 is hitting theaters this weekend, and the new animated feature stars Jack Black as Po and Awkwafina as Zhen. The duo recently had a chat with ComicBook.com about the new film, and they revealed their favorite animated movies and discussed their upcoming projects. The duo also talked about the unique way they made Kung Fu Panda 4, revealing how they incorporated improv into the process. 

"I would say there's a lot of room in animation for improv," Awkwafina explained. "There's been a couple of times where you do a really cool session, you improv, and then the animators will have fun with stuff they didn't expect or whatever. You improv things that get made later. It is a really fun space to play around."

"I always try to give them what they wrote first, and then take some tries at doing it different," Black added. "Or maybe if there's a line, like, 'Oh, I don't think I'd say that. I don't think my character would say that. Can I change it to this and that?' And you find some magic that way sometimes." 

You can watch our interview with Jack Black and Awkwafina at the top of the page.

What Is Kung Fu Panda 4 About?

Here's the official synopsis for Kung Fu Panda 4, which focuses on the history and lore of the franchise:

"After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to...give it a rest already. More specifically, he's tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

Even worse, there's been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po's Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

So, Po's going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po's fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon's reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places." 

Kung Fu Panda 4 will be in theaters on March 8th.