Awkwafina and Jack Black took over the world premiere of Kung Fu Panda 4 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 cinema.
Awkafina — who recently spoke about her collaboration with the late Paul Reubens — rocked a flirty pink and red minidress with an array of fringe and stunned when she added a set of dangling diamond earrings and silver high heels to the mix.
Jack looked sharp in a stylish monochrome tuxedo as he playfully lifted his legs and struck silly poses for onlookers.
The adorable couple led a cavalcade of stars at the event, including Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Mario Lopez and more.
Awkwafina and Jack Black took over the world premiere of Kung Fu Panda 4 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 cinema
Surprisingly, it’s been almost a decade since the last installment of the popular animated series, 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 from the tranquil Valley of Peace to the bustling big city, where he faces his most formidable threat yet.
A new opponent known as The Chameleon emerges with extraordinary skills and a determination to confront the Dragon Warrior.
This new opponent forces Po to confront his past enemies and introduces formidable opponents from the first two Kung Fu Panda films, namely Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and Lord Shen (Gary Oldman).
Faced with a major challenge in dealing with this threat, Po has the added task of hunting for the next Dragon Warrior.
Sweet Panda knows he can’t be the peacekeeper forever, so he’s looking for someone to fill his shoes
The official synopsis reads: ‘After three death-defying adventures in which he defeated world-class villains with his unparalleled bravery and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (black), is summoned by fate to… give it all a rest. More specifically, he is asked to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace.”
Wearing a flirty pink and red mini dress with an array of fringe, Awkafina stunned when she added a set of dangling diamond earrings and silver high heels to the mix
Jack looked sharp in a stylish monochrome tuxedo, playfully lifting his legs and striking silly poses for onlookers
High kicks and hijinks were par for the course as Jack showed off his athletic moves on the red carpet
James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Jack and Awkwafina posed like pros
The three stars looked cozy on the red carpet
Cece Valentina and Jack brought a lot of fun to 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.
‘It took a long time. And that’s actually why it took so long to make. We wanted to make sure we had the best story going forward, and that took a while. We didn’t want to just make another one,” he explained,
“We knew it was going to be funny and action-packed, but we had to make sure we had the right story to tell that allowed our main 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 at the event
Iconic actor James Hong, 95, is keeping Hollywood on its toes
Cast member Lori Tan Chinn joined in while carrying a bunny bag
“Then, probably just as importantly, we wanted to find the perfect villain. We really wanted to keep an eye on a great villain. So that’s why it took so long.’
He went on to say that fans will be surprised to see their favorite characters all return 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.
“Lots of characters. All characters return. Every character you remember is coming back, plus a few villains I don’t want to spoil.
“But actually we wanted to introduce a whole bunch of new characters, which we did.”
Started in 2008, the Kung Fu Panda franchise centers on Po, a clumsy panda who dreams of becoming a kung fu master.
In the first film, Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior to fight the villain Tai Lung.
Its success spawned two sequels: Kung Fu Panda 2 in 2011, in which 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 mix of humor and martial arts, the franchise extends beyond films to include TV series like Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.