“Kung Fu Panda 4” director Mike Mitchell gravitates toward villains that can “reflect the hero.” And that’s something that he leaned into with the Chameleon, a threatening two-and-a half foot shape shifter voiced by Oscar winner Viola Davis, who is the nemesis of Jack Black’s titular panda Po in the latest installment of the DreamWorks Animation franchise.
In the movie, which Universal opens in theaters this weekend, “Dragon Warrior” Po is instructed to find a successor as he moves to a new role as spiritual leader in the Valley of Peace when a formidable foe appears, threatening the village. “The Chameleon is a little character who has been underestimated and that’s similar to Po, who has been underestimated,” says Mitchell, whose directing credits include Dwa’s “Trolls” and “Shrek Forever After.” “Who would think that a roly poly panda could ever become a Kung Fu master?”
The...
In the movie, which Universal opens in theaters this weekend, “Dragon Warrior” Po is instructed to find a successor as he moves to a new role as spiritual leader in the Valley of Peace when a formidable foe appears, threatening the village. “The Chameleon is a little character who has been underestimated and that’s similar to Po, who has been underestimated,” says Mitchell, whose directing credits include Dwa’s “Trolls” and “Shrek Forever After.” “Who would think that a roly poly panda could ever become a Kung Fu master?”
The...
- 3/9/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety Film + TV
“Kung Fu Panda 4” is all about change, which makes sense given the eight-year gap in DreamWorks Animation’s nearly $2 billion comedy-adventure franchise. In the latest sequel, Jack Black’s endearing martial arts panda-turned-Dragon Warrior, Po, assumes the role of spiritual leader and guides Awkwafina’s thieving gray Corsac fox, Zhen, to be his successor. However, he must battle Viola Davis’ The Chameleon, a shapeshifting sorceress lizard and crime lord who copies the kung fu moves of other masters.
Director Mike Mitchell, who came to “Kung Fu Panda” from “Shrek” and “Trolls” (although he contributed to the franchise), wanted to lean into the spirit of the first film while drawing parallels between Po and The Chameleon. “Whenever I work on a franchise, I always go back to that first movie,” he told IndieWire. “That’s my favorite one, and the thing that I loved about Po is he is so underestimated.
Director Mike Mitchell, who came to “Kung Fu Panda” from “Shrek” and “Trolls” (although he contributed to the franchise), wanted to lean into the spirit of the first film while drawing parallels between Po and The Chameleon. “Whenever I work on a franchise, I always go back to that first movie,” he told IndieWire. “That’s my favorite one, and the thing that I loved about Po is he is so underestimated.
- 3/9/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
When families settle into their seats to watch DreamWorks Animation’s latest release Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, they’ll be welcomed by a set of new yet familiar faces.
To help trumpet in its latest era, the studio is unveiling a new curtain raiser, which will make its debut nationwide during special Nov. 26 “Caturday” early screenings of the Shrek franchise sequel — ahead of its Dec. 21 theatrical release. The 32-second dream-like sequence spotlights a number of the studio’s most popular and long-running franchises in both film and TV, before settling on its classic moon shot.
“We make dreams come to life on screen, so the idea was basically that you go into the dreams of a new child. They are taking you through this dreamscape and reintroducing you to these iconic figures that we’ve created over all these years,” says production designer Kendal Cronkhite,...
When families settle into their seats to watch DreamWorks Animation’s latest release Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, they’ll be welcomed by a set of new yet familiar faces.
To help trumpet in its latest era, the studio is unveiling a new curtain raiser, which will make its debut nationwide during special Nov. 26 “Caturday” early screenings of the Shrek franchise sequel — ahead of its Dec. 21 theatrical release. The 32-second dream-like sequence spotlights a number of the studio’s most popular and long-running franchises in both film and TV, before settling on its classic moon shot.
“We make dreams come to life on screen, so the idea was basically that you go into the dreams of a new child. They are taking you through this dreamscape and reintroducing you to these iconic figures that we’ve created over all these years,” says production designer Kendal Cronkhite,...
- 11/25/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the first movie animated with newly developed technology called Apollo—and I was able to try it out, firsthand! At the DreamWorks Animation Studios, I became an animator by experimenting with Hiccup's expressions.
Sean Sexton, Animation Supervisor, explains that Apollo allows animators to directly manipulate characters' expressions using a stylus on the computer screen. The state-of-the-art technology pushes the bar in terms of quality and detail, expanding the color palette and range of textures.
"I was wondering, what can't we do at this point?" says writer/director Dean DeBlois, who also directed the first movie. "I think if we can imagine it, we can actually create it now. There doesn't seem to be a boundary anymore. Stuff that used to be budget breaking-ly difficult is now handled with ease. It's a wide open future."
Animating Hiccup was no easy task for me, but...
Sean Sexton, Animation Supervisor, explains that Apollo allows animators to directly manipulate characters' expressions using a stylus on the computer screen. The state-of-the-art technology pushes the bar in terms of quality and detail, expanding the color palette and range of textures.
"I was wondering, what can't we do at this point?" says writer/director Dean DeBlois, who also directed the first movie. "I think if we can imagine it, we can actually create it now. There doesn't seem to be a boundary anymore. Stuff that used to be budget breaking-ly difficult is now handled with ease. It's a wide open future."
Animating Hiccup was no easy task for me, but...
- 6/9/2014
- by cassandrahsiao@hotmail.com (Star Reporter Cassandra)
- kidspickflicks
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.