The New KUNG FU PANDA 3 Trailer Reunites Father And Son... Or Not

Picturing actor Jack Black as an action hero would be something of an impossible feat to pull of, but he's done quite so successfully in the past decade or so the lead in Dreamworks Animation's Kung Fu Panda trilogy. The first film was absolutely brilliant and the second wasn't as substantive but scored plenty of points for spectactle in the epic telling of a sizeable panda's fish-out-of-water journey toward kung fu greatness in the face of evil and of self-discovery. With the third now on the way in Kung Fu Panda 3, aside from the second film's ending, you still wonder what else is left to tell, and the latest official trailer acknowleges that rightly so.

SYNOPSIS:

In 2016, one of the most successful animated franchises in the world returns with its biggest comedy adventure yet, KUNG FU PANDA 3. When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters.  But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas!

Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni direct with Black rejoined by the voices of Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Dustin Hoffman and James Hong, in addition to Bryan Cranston and Rebel Wilson. A first look partly leaked online last week revealing an international teaser, so time will tell if we'll see that in full. In the meantime, the new trailer is below ahead of the film's January release next year!

KUNG FU PANDA Moves Up To January 2016

Dreamworks Animation has been pretty busy so far in restructuring itself since the top of the year. The studio will only be releasing two films per year from now through 2018, starting next year with Kung Fu Panda 3, the third installation of the Jack Black-starring kung fu animated franchise with Twentieth Century Fox, and word has it from the Dreamworks Animation CEO himself, Jeffrey Katzenberg, that there could be another trilogy in the works beyond that point, which does feed the curiousity.

Anyway, the film has been pushed back a few times between its previously-announced December 2015 and March 2016 dates, but THR is now reporting that the film will arrive just a little sooner next year with a flag planted for January 29, 2016, so it's definitely a small sign of better prospects to hopefully come. Animation veterans Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni are co-directing the new fantasy actioner from a script by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger with producers Melissa Cobb and Guillermo del Toro, the latter executive producing. Black is expected to be joined by other returning cast members, with the additions Rebel Wilson, Mads Mikkelsen and Bryan Cranston to the vocal cast.

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates!

KUNG FU PANDA 3 Adds A Second Director

Dreamworks Animation's restructuring process is going to see its fair share of challenges, particularly following last month's reported losses. Ultimately, this includes prioritizing only a handful of franchise films between now and summer of 2018 along with the recent acquisition of co-production status for the newly dated March 18, 2016 release of Kung Fu Panda 3.

Bearing in mind the move also avoids going toe to toe with Star Wars: The Force Awakens this December but it is playing pretty close to the release of Warner Bros. Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Hopefully fans of the forthcoming Kung Fu Panda trilogy will make way to show their support as we await further info on what the film will entail. In the meantime, what we now also know is that Jennifer Yuh Nelson who directed Kung Fu Panda 2 and supervised the story and action animation for the first film in 2008 will now have some co-directorial company in the form of Alessandro Carloni, according to Deadline. Carloni also worked with Nelson on the first two films as well as last year's release of How To Train Your Dragon 2, and now joins Kung Fu Panda 3 with the intent on a more strengthened promotional campaign when it's time to roll it all out.

Jack Black is expected to return in the title voice role with the rest of the cast, although updates are still pending. Stay tuned for more info!