Awkwafina and Jack Black took over the Kung Fu Panda 4 world premiere in Hollywood on Sunday.
The Crazy Rich Asians vet, 35, and the School of Rock alum, 54, stole the spotlight as they posed together on the red carpet at the Grove movie theater.
Rocking a flirty pink and red minidress featuring an array of fringe, Awkafina — who recently gushed over working with the late Paul Reubens — stunned as she added a set of dangling diamond earrings and silver high heels to the mix.
Jack looked sharp in a stylish monochromatic tuxedo, playfully lifting his legs and striking goofy poses for the onlookers.
The adorable pair led a cavalcade of stars at the event, including Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Mario Lopez and more.
Awkwafina and Jack Black took over the Kung Fu Panda 4 world premiere in Hollywood on Sunday.
The Crazy Rich Asians vet, 35, and the School of Rock alum, 54, stole the spotlight as they posed together on the red carpet at the Grove movie theater
Surprisingly, it’s been almost a decade since the last installment of the popular animated franchise, Kung Fu Panda 3, opened in 2016.
It marks Jack’s return to the iconic role of Po, building on his Emmy-winning performance in the Netflix series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.
In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po embarks on a journey away from the tranquil Valley of Peace into the bustling big city, encountering his most formidable threat to date.
A fresh antagonist, known as The Chameleon, emerges with extraordinary abilities and a determination to confront the Dragon Warrior.
This new adversary compels Po to confront his past foes, reintroducing formidable adversaries from the first two Kung Fu Panda films, namely Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and Lord Shen (Gary Oldman).
Facing a big challenge dealing with this threat, Po’s got the extra job of hunting down the next Dragon Warrior.
The lovable Panda knows he can’t be the peacekeeper forever, so he’s on the hunt for someone who can fill his shoes
The official synopsis reads: ‘After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.’
Rocking a flirty pink and red minidress featuring an array of fringe, Awkafina stunned as she added a set of dangling diamond earrings and silver high heels to the mix
Jack looked sharp in a stylish monochromatic tuxedo, playfully lifting his legs and striking goofy poses for the onlookers
High kicks and hijinks were par for the course with Jack on the red carpet as he showed off his athletic moves
James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Jack and Awkwafina posed like pros
The three stars looked chummy on the red carpet
Cece Valentina and Jack made sure to have some fun at the premiere
Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power).
The film was produced by Rebecca Huntley (The Bad Guys).
During a conversation with Collider in December 2023, Mitchell discussed the extensive creative process.
‘We took a long time. And in fact, that’s why it took so long to make it. We wanted to make sure that we had the best story moving forward , and that took a while. We didn’t just want to make another one,’ he explained,
‘We knew it was gonna be funny and action-packed, but we needed to make sure that we had the proper story to tell that would allow our lead character to evolve and learn , and we wanted to find the right theme.
Bryan kept it cool in a turquoise jacket and matching shirt
The Breaking Bad actor kept a low profile in his dark sunglasses
Dustin Hoffman and wife Lisa Hoffman are joined by little ones for the event
Iconic actor James Hong, 95, is keeping Hollywood on its toes
Cast member Lori Tan Chinn joined in on the fun
‘Then, probably as importantly, we wanted to find the perfect villain. We wanted to really lock in on a great villain. So, that’s why it took so long.’
He went on to say that the fans will be surprised that their favorite characters are all coming back for the latest adventure.
‘By the way, all the old characters are back – Mr Ping, Li, played by Bryan Cranston, Shifu, played by Dustin Hoffman, and then James Hong who plays Ping.
‘Tons of characters. All the characters come back. Every single character that you remember comes back, and a few villains that I don’t want to spoil.
‘But really, we wanted to introduce a whole slew of new characters which we did.’
The Kung Fu Panda franchise, initiated in 2008, revolves around Po, a clumsy panda with dreams of becoming a kung fu master.
The first film saw Po chosen as the Dragon Warrior to combat the villain Tai Lung.
Its success led to two sequels – Kung Fu Panda 2 in 2011, where Po confronts Lord Shen, and Kung Fu Panda 3 in 2016, featuring a family reunion and the revelation of a secret panda village.
Known for its blend of humor and martial arts, the franchise extends beyond films, including TV series like Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.
