Everyone’s favorite kung fu panda Po will get a little help on his globe-trotting quest. Netflix on Friday announced that Rita Ora and James Hong will join the cast of its upcoming children’s animated series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight alongside returning franchise star Jack Black.
The upcoming series, from DreamWorks Animation, follows Po, voiced by Black, as he embarks quest for redemption and justice after he is wrongfully accused of misusing a magical weapon while in the midst of a well-deserved eating tour of China. Ora, marking her first major voice acting debut, will join the cast as Wandering Blade, “a tough English bear knight” who joins Po on his adventures. Hong, meanwhile, is set to reprise his role as Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive and over-protective father who previously appeared in the first three Kung Fu Panda films as well as several of the spinoff Kung Fu series and other titles within the Kung Fu Panda franchise. The cast also includes Chris Geere as Klaus Dumont, Della Saba as Veruca Dumont, Rahnuma Panthaky as Rukhmini, Ed Weeks as Colin, and Amy Hill as Pei Pei.
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Netflix’s official synopsis for the series reads, “When a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons, Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction – and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way.”
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight marks the latest installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, which began with the 2008 release of Kung Fu Panda. The film proved to be a massive success, and Kung Fu Panda 2 followed three years later in 2011, with the third film, Kung Fu Panda 3, released in 2016. In total, the three films have grossed over $1.8 billion at the global box office. Over the years, the franchise has grown to include a number of short films, including Kung Fu Panda Holiday Secrets of the Scroll, and two animated series. Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness ran for three seasons at Nickelodeon, with Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny airing for a single season on Prime Video.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight is executive produced by Black alongside Peter Hastings and Shaunt Nigoghossian. Chris Amick and Ben Mekler serve as executive producers. Netflix has not yet released a premiere date.
