"Kung Fu Panda 4" Without the Furious Five: Is DreamWorks Losing Its Dream?

Let's first take stock of the fun facts about "Kung Fu Panda 4":

01 "Kung Fu Panda 4" is directed by Mike Mitchell, director of "Shrek Forever After," produced by Rebecca Huntley of "The Boss Baby" and "The Bad Guys," co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine, and features the return of Jack Black as the voice of Po.

02 The Furious Five will appear in the film, assigned to other crucial tasks.

03 The primary antagonist, Chameleon, is voiced by Oscar-winning Viola Davis, marking the series' first female antagonist with a magical inclination. She is ruthless and cunning and can change the size and replicate other kung fu stunning.

04 Zhen, voiced by Golden Globe winner Awkwafina, is a sand fox with fur specially designed in contrast to Po's black and white. While making a living through theft, Zhen has a mysterious past, creating a dynamic with Po reminiscent of his relationship with his master in the first film.

05 Director Mike Mitchell mentioned that "Kung Fu Panda 4" incorporates the latest filming and animation techniques, including lighting and GoPro cameras widely used in action movies. Marvel's stunt coordinators were also brought in to record reference videos for Po's staff fighting scenes.

06 The leader of the thieves' lair is a pangolin named Han, voiced by Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan. Han can roll into a ball like a bowling ball and navigate through the city's underground pipes.

07 Ian McShane reprises his role as Tai Lung, with the trailer hinting at his swift defeat by Chameleon, who absorbs his powers.

08 One of the main themes of "Kung Fu Panda 4" is "change." Despite achieving everything he desires, Po, now the Dragon Warrior, is perplexed and bored when others want him to become a spiritual leader.

DreamWorks' Lost Dreams

Reflecting on the past 11 years, fate has not been kind to DreamWorks.

This animation powerhouse, known for global hits like "Shrek," "The Croods," and "Kung Fu Panda," faced setbacks starting in 2012. "Rise of the Guardians" underperformed at the box office, losing a $200 million margin to Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph." Subsequent releases, "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" and "Turbo" ended in dismal failures, accumulating losses exceeding $70 million. Under immense financial pressure, DreamWorks had to lay off 350 employees and consider outsourcing production.

In 2013, "The Croods" provided some breathing space with successful box office and critical acclaim but failed to reverse the situation completely.

2014 saw the release of highly anticipated sequels, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" and "Penguins of Madagascar." While performing decently overseas, they fell short of overall expectations. Due to continuous poor box office results, then-CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg twice attempted to sell DreamWorks Animation.

By 2015, DreamWorks announced adjustments to its annual film plans, reducing the yearly output from three to two films and cutting 500 jobs, including significant management changes.

In 2016, "Kung Fu Panda 3" carried the last hopes for DreamWorks. Many believed this film would be a massive success, solving DreamWorks' crisis. However, things went differently than planned.

While "Kung Fu Panda 3" set records in multiple regions worldwide, its final box office fell just short of $500 million, barely matching Disney's "Moana" released around the same time. Meanwhile, Disney's "Zootopia" achieved a staggering $1 billion at the box office, leaving DreamWorks in its wake.

Despite Po's martial arts prowess, he couldn't reverse DreamWorks' decline. Eventually, Comcast Corporation's NBCUniversal officially acquired DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion. Jeffrey Katzenberg stepped down, and DreamWorks Animation was delisted, concluding its 12-year history as a publicly traded independent company.

After 2016, DreamWorks released successful films like "Trolls" and "The Boss Baby," but the glory days of "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda" were not fully restored. After a few lukewarm years, DreamWorks experienced a "resurrection" with "The Croods 2: A New Age" in 2020, hoping it could break the deadlock.

In 2022, DreamWorks once again entered the spotlight with "The Bad Guys" and "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" grossing over $700 million combined. However, the glory was short-lived.

In 2023, "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken" reverted to negativity, earning a modest $43 million globally during its theatrical run, not even recouping a fifth of its costs. DreamWorks had lost its dream.

However, this is precisely why, facing joint pressure from Disney, Pixar, Sony, Warner Bros., and others, DreamWorks now urgently needs the success of "Kung Fu Panda 4" to break the deadlock. But can Po return victorious this time?

Sequel Animation Films' Dilemma

High audience approval is a win-win situation for studios, as sequels can extend the influence of IPs and provide more content for downstream industries.

However, the development of sequels also faces challenges. Poor craftsmanship, outdated formulas, and inconsistencies with the original plot have contributed to significant box office declines for sequels like "The Secret Life of Pets 2" and "Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformation."

The main challenge for "Kung Fu Panda 4" lies in how to tell a story after the original trilogy's conclusion. Po went through trials in the first three films to become the Dragon Warrior, and even the creators believed "Kung Fu Panda 3" was the series' conclusion.

"Shrek" had already provided an answer. After concluding the "Shrek" series, DreamWorks focused on the popular character "Puss in Boots" from "Shrek 2," creating two successful standalone animated films. Similarly, for the "Kung Fu Panda" series, DreamWorks might consider using derivative works to prolong the life of the IP. They have believed it.

From 2011 to the present, derivative series like "Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight" and "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness" have reached their third seasons, and "Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny" has aired 26 episodes. Unfortunately, these series didn't create significant waves, possibly explaining why DreamWorks is determined to return to the film version.

With the lingering influence of the previous films, it's unlikely that "Kung Fu Panda 4" will disappoint. New adventures, maps, Chameleon summoning old villains – this satisfies nostalgia for old fans and brings fresh excitement. The market may not always believe in IPs, but it always believes in quality content.

While the film has not been officially released, "Kung Fu Panda 4" faces skepticism. Behind this doubt, however, lies the unwavering love of the fans. Whether it is an average sequel or an astounding success, one hopes the director's statement during interviews is sincere: "If there isn't the best story, then I'd rather not make it."