Parents with mini martial arts students (and Duff “Ace of Cakes” Goldman) have reason to celebrate today following the announcement that Po the “Kung Fu Panda” is returning to the big screen.
DreamWorks Animation SKG just issued a statement that confirms it plans to produce a sequel to “Kung Fu Panda” to be released sometime in 2011. According to bigwigs at DreamWorks Animation films, the new “Kung Fu Panda” project will be produced with 3-D technology and Jack Black will return to provide the voice of Po, the flexible bear, who became an unlikely martial-arts hero in the last installment. Joining Black will be Angelina Jolie, who is slated to return in the comedy sequel as the voice of Tigress.
Considering how much money the first movie raked in (the animated flick reportedly made more than $200 million in the United States and more than $600 million worldwide since its release in early June, making it Dream Works Animation’s most successful original film ever) it should come as no surprise to “Panda” fans that execs at DreamWorks are hustling out a sequel.
For those of you who missed out on the action when the movie was in theaters you can catch up when “Kung Fu Panda” is released on DVD on November 9th.
Another big name hitting back is Stephen Colbert.
Despite his failure to get on both the Democratic and Republican presidential primary ballots in his home state of South Carolina the host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” is making an appearance as a major political candidate… in the comics.
Colbert’s fictional run for the White House comes courtesy of a make-believe ticket in Spider-Man’s world.
“In a universe where a guy can get super powers from a spider bite, then it makes complete logical sense that Stephen Colbert could be a viable candidate,” one of the writers on the Spidey/Colbert storyline told New York Daily News.
You can see Colbert’s history making guest starring gig in an issue of Marvel Comics’ “The Amazing Spider-Man,” out on October 15th.