Main Voice Cast and Characters
The animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 features a returning ensemble cast led by Jack Black as Po, the panda protagonist. Angelina Jolie voices Tigress, Dustin Hoffman portrays Master Shifu, and Gary Oldman takes on the role of the antagonist Lord Shen. Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, and Jackie Chan reprise their roles from the first film, anchoring the ensemble with familiar character voices and comedic timing. IMDb lists the full credited cast for the 2011 DreamWorks release.
Lord Shen, voiced by Gary Oldman, is a peacock villain driven by a prophecy and a quest for power across China. The character's design and voice performance were developed by DreamWorks Animation to contrast with the gentle tone of Po. Box Office Mojo tracks the film's worldwide gross, which exceeded $665 million against a reported budget near $150 million.
Production Companies and Studio Details
Kung Fu Panda 2 was produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures in the United States. The studio behind the original Shrek franchise handled animation, voice direction, and post-production at its main campus in Glendale, California. DreamWorks Animation's official site provides studio background and franchise overviews.
The film's creative team included director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, making her the first woman to solely direct a major animated feature, and screenwriters Darren Lemke, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger. Visual effects and rendering were handled using internal DreamWorks pipelines, with music composed by Hans Zimmer and John Powell.
Release Timeline, Reception, and Franchise Data
Kung Fu Panda 2 premiered in theaters on May 26, 2011, and was later released on home video formats including Blu-ray and DVD. The Motion Picture Association rated the film PG for martial arts action and some thematic elements. Rotten Tomatoes aggregates critic and audience scores, showing strong reception for the sequel.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise expanded with a third installment, Kung Fu Panda 3, released in 2016, and additional short-form content and streaming appearances. Forbes reported on the franchise's continued expansion, confirming ongoing development of new Kung Fu Panda projects tied to streaming distribution.