Since their inception, animated series and films have come a long way to say the least. From the timeless Disney classics of the early 20th century to more modern examples designed for adults such as Family Guy and The Simpsons, the genre of animated film and television has expanded tremendously to include an incredibly vast array of works for fans of all ages. 21st century advancements in technology have played an integral role in this as they have facilitated the production of animated works considerably and have completely reshaped the way we view animation, and this is a trend that only seems to persist as more time passes and the technology surrounding these works continues to expand. Now one of the most memorable animated franchises of the 21st century is making the shift from film to television, with Netflix announcing plans to produce a Kung Fu Panda animated series set to expand upon the beloved animated franchise.
Originally released in 2008, Kung Fu Panda was produced by DreamWorks Animation and features Jack Black as the voice of the film’s titular character Po Ping who is a panda studying the art of kung fu. The children’s film was an immediate hit amongst fans and was a massive box office success, raking in over $600 million in box offices globally on a budget of just $130 million. Since then fans have received three installments in the Kung Fu Panda franchise that have generated over $1.8 billion globally and have cemented the franchise’s place in animation for years to come. Now Netflix is ready to expand upon that success announcing plans this week to produce a Kung Fu Panda animated series. Though it will not be the first Kung Fu Panda animated series, Netfliix will seemingly be putting a lot of effort into this project and have already enlisted Black to reprise his role as the voice of Po Ping for the upcoming series; further details about the series remain unclear at this time, however fans can remain on the lookout for further updates about the Kung Fu Panda animated series being produced by Netflix in the coming weeks.
Netflix has been hard at work producing a plethora of new content since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and this new Kung Fu Panda project is only going to expand upon that. The franchise has already been a massive success for DreamWorks and now Netflix is only set to expand upon that with this new project. It will be interesting to see what they come up with, and eager fans can remain on the lookout for Netflix’s new Kung Fu Panda series as more details emerge in the coming weeks.
