Kung Fu Panda 4: Which French actors are voicing the characters in the DreamWorks animated film?

Sixteen years after his first cinematic adventure, the lovable panda Po returns to cinema with Kung Fu Panda 4. In this feature film by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stein, Poe, like the great dragon warrior, is called upon to evolve. The latter is named the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and finds and trains his successor.

At the same time, the Chameleon appears, as evil in intent as he is powerful, a sorcerer who can transform into any creature. The latter is eyeing Po’s staff of wisdom, with the help of which he hopes to be able to summon from the spirit world all the evil lords that our dragon warrior has defeated. Poe must team up with Jen, Korsak’s Vixen, a thief who is as cunning as she is quick. In order to successfully protect the Valley of Peace from the chameleon’s clutches, this odd duo will have to find a common language.

After 3 feature films – which grossed a total of $1.8 billion, DreamWorks Studios found the right story to bring back Poe, his fathers Ping & Li and Master Shifu.

Director Mike Mitchell Also our microphone was entrusted with the reason for this long wait. “We wanted to make a perfect film with a perfect story. Considering the bar was set so high with the first three films, this was no easy task. We needed to evolve Po into what you’ll see in Kung Fu Panda 4.

Another challenge was to increase the level of action with spectacular battles. Not to mention that we had to up the ante. It took a long time to reach perfection, or nearly so. Over time, technology has developed a lot, which also allowed us to produce a film with an unprecedented visual result.“

Which actors voice the characters in Kung Fu Panda 4?

What hasn’t changed is the 5 star voice casting. Jack Black once again lends his voice to the character in the original version. The American actress and singer also performs the feature’s theme song, a cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.”

In French it’s Manu Payet, who has already voiced Poe in previous films, who is back in action. The latter is thrilled to be able to find character again. He tells us:To be honest, I was afraid we wouldn’t do more. I told myself, there are never four movies. We won’t go up until four, we can’t. Meanwhile, I had a little girl and secretly dreamed of making a fourth film, so I could announce it to her and invite all her friends to the premiere.”

I secretly dreamed of making a fourth film,

Manu Payet adds : “Po is great, he develops, grows and matures. The film helps you understand that nothing is taken for granted, that everything is a matter of work.”

Master Shifu, the wise red panda responsible for training the best kung fu warriors, is still voiced by Dustin Hoffman in the original version. In France, it is Pierre Ardit, who has already voiced the American actress in The Recidivist (1978) and Agatha (1979), who doubles it.

Theater and film actor Pierre Ardit is also known in the world of dubbing. He began as a voice actor in 1971 and provided the voices for Christopher Reeve (Superman), Christopher Walken, William Hurt, Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro. Pierre Ardit also takes over for Jacques Frantz, who died in March 2021, as De Niro’s official French voice.

The 79-year-old actor especially loves his character. He said to our microphone:The hero of the film is Po, but Shifu is a kind of master of thought and master of life. He teaches him to live in a certain way. And that’s why the series stands out from a certain number of others because there’s a background that’s not just a cartoon background, it’s a background for the older kids that we’re left with.

Master Shifu is both fun because he has his own personality, he can have some aggravation. He is wise, but he is active wise. That’s what makes doubling up fun. It slowly takes Poe back to his teenage and adult life, making him realize that at some point there is something called transference. That is, there is one thing that we must accept: when we manage to meet ourselves, know who we are, then we must make room for others. This does not mean that we stop living the life we ​​lead, it means that life changes in its pattern and that what we have experienced we give it to someone else who will benefit from it. later.

That, I think, is the great success of this series and the title of fame that works so well, perhaps because people feel that it tells us what we are, what we are not yet, how to become.”

Dubbed by Awkwafina in the United States, Vixen Jean is voiced by Olivia Dalrich in the French version. The actor has already voiced an American actor in the movie Renfield. The French actress also voiced Mariah Carey in Glitter and Precious, Penelope Cruz in the French versions of Manolete, Volver and Banddidas, and Michelle Rodriguez in the first Fast & Furious, World Invasion and Resident Evil: Retribution.

The feature film’s big villain is played by multi-award winning actress Viola Davis. In the French version, it is Virginie Eman who plays the main villain of the film. It’s a logical choice, as Virgin Emane has already voiced the American actress in the series Impardonable, Air and the films Fences and Les Veuves.

While Bryan Cranston doubles as Lee, Po the Panda’s father, it’s Emmanuel Jacome – the regular voice of Forest Whitaker, Pierce Brosnan, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe – who voices the character, while Christian de Smet doubles Mr. Ping, the father of Po the Duck (played by James Hong in the original version).