Kung Fu Panda 4‘s limited premiere took place at The Grove in Los Angeles on March 3, where the cast and crew of the film made an appearance to promote the film. The two directors of the film, Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma-Stine, exuded confidence in their new film. Ma-Stine even went on to suggest that Po’s story will not end with the fourth film, hinting at the possibility of Kung Fu Panda 5. Fans have one valid condition before they root for the fifth film in the franchise.
Some fans on social media were highly skeptical about the idea of a fifth film. But many were willing to watch more Kung Fu Panda projects as long as the franchise kept the quality of the previous films and cared for the characters.
Fans Have One Condition Upon Which Kung Fu Panda 5 Can Happen
The Kung Fu Panda 4 premiere was attended by the voice cast of the film, including Jack Black, Awkwafina, Ronnie Chieng, and Bryan Cranston. Also in attendance were the new directors of the film, Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma-Stine, who took over the directing duties from Jennifer Yuh Nelson. For Ma-Stine, the film was her feature directorial debut.
During the conversation with the press at the film’s L.A. premiere, Ma-Stine revealed to Variety that Po’s story will continue in subsequent films in the franchise. In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po is tasked with finding his Dragon Warrior success and many fans speculated that this storyline meant the end of the journey for Jack Black’s character. However, Ma-Stine shared, “This is definitely not the end of Po’s story. Please look forward to more.”
While some fans were skeptical, others were more optimistic about the idea provided the film managed to keep the quality and care of the previous films. One fan pointed out the studio’s earlier promise of six films and shared that they would watch the films if they showed how Po would become a master and teaching figure like Oogway. Another fan also mentioned that the movies should happen for a reason and not the studio just milking the franchise for more money.
Many fans wanted the films to remain exactly how they were loved back in 2008. These fans began watching Kung Fu Panda films as children and wanted that nostalgia element to be there in future films too. One fan further went on to state that he would like to see the original characters return rather than see replacement characters. Several fan reactions read:
I'm down for more as long as quality and care are kept
— Eddie (@OHMYDIAZ) March 6, 2024
I would love to see Six films, as long as they keep developing Po and see him become more like Oogway in terms of being a master and teaching figure and getting to see him teach pupils.
— Alex J Montazem (@alexjmonty) March 7, 2024
just keep the quality aliiivvveeee
— Just Do It The Hedgy:) (@Jamespuf) March 7, 2024
Just please keep the quality. There must be a reason!
— ⭐️Lord.Shen⭐️🚢⚓️🏴☠️179 (@Lara_Hoffman179) March 7, 2024
I’m all for it but keep it how we loved it as children
— Tomd (@tommydangermou3) March 7, 2024
I only care for him and the furious five. I’m okay with extras, but not replacements.
— fvck_you2 (@dgillespie937) March 7, 2024
However, speculations and discussions have already begun on the internet about Jack Black’s potential return to the series. Early reviews of the film suggested that the franchise was stretched too thin with Po’s story.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Ending Scene Leaked: Fans Are Not Happy With a Massive Spoiler Days Ahead of Release
Kung Fu Panda 4 Early Reviews Suggest That The Quality Might Be Dipping
Kung Fu Panda 4‘s early reviews do not paint a great picture for the franchise, despite the filmmakers coming up with a decent output. The film has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score among the four films, currently standing at 74% fresh from 47 reviews. In comparison, the first film in 2008 has a score of 87%, the 2011 film has 81%, and the third film has 87%.
Kung Fu Panda‘s $632 million box office collection was a massive achievement for animated films. The second film became the highest-grossing film in the franchise with $665 million. However, the third film saw a drop in the box office earnings, amassing $521 million worldwide. While the fourth film might struggle to catch up to the ratings of the other films, it is expected to collect $45-50 million in its opening weekend like the previous films.
The budget for the fourth film is surprisingly lower than the $150 million spent on each of the earlier films. The $85 million budget will help the film to become the most profitable movie in the franchise. Kung Fu Panda 4 will be released in theaters worldwide on March 8, 2024.
