Kung Fu Panda Will “Keep Going Bigger” With Anticipated Fifth Installment (Exclusive)

The latest Kung Fu Panda reached the franchise’s gold standard once again on both a critical and financial level. Kung Fu Panda 4 currently sits as the third highest-grossing film of the 2024, sitting only behind juggernauts Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The fourquel also brought the franchise past the $2 billion dollar mark, making it one of the most successful animated series of all time. This all came after the longest gap between Kung Fu Panda movies as well, as the eight-year space between Kung Fu Panda 3 and Kung Fu Panda 4 far exceeded the average four-year wait between installments.

Kung Fu Panda Director Anticipates “Going Bigger” With Sequels

The success of Kung Fu Panda 4 has the creators ready to continue upping the ante.

Speaking to ComicBook, Kung Fu Panda 4 director Mike Mitchell declared that he wants prospective sequels within the series to “keep going bigger.”  

“I think no matter what, we keep going bigger. Whether I’m working on it or not, I’m in the theater watching these things,” Mitchell said. 

Mitchell pointed to titular star Jack Black’s vocal charisma as giving the franchise eternal life while also pointing to the untapped potential within the larger ensemble.

“If Jack Black is performing as Poe the Dragon Warrior, I just think that character could last forever. He’s so charming, he’s so action packed. Not to mention this world is so filled with characters,” Mitchell continued. “We just took a little break from The Furious Five, which everyone can’t wait to see those guys and what they’re doing and what they’re up to. There’s so much story to tell and it never feels to me like it would be something intimate. It’s always got big action. It’s hard for me to imagine it’s just taking place in one room. I mean, we had so many ideas from this film that we just couldn’t fit in.”

Head of Animation Sean Sexton added that he specifically sees a big future for Awkwafina’s Zhen, an anti-hero of sorts that just joined the franchise.

“I think meeting Zhen and training Zhen, I think there’s a lot to be told there,” Sexton added. “I think it could be a really fun sequel.”

Kung Fu Panda 4 will be available to own on May 28th on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.