Kung Fu Panda 4
In mainland China, Kung Fu Panda 4 was at the top of the box office, earning $11.4 million in its first official week of release.
The director Mike Mitchell told Collider that the film took more inspiration from anime than its prequels, and described the film as “almost like a love letter to the feature film franchise.”
Most of the film’s animation was by Jellyfish Pictures, who also worked on The Bad Guys (2022). Skilled animators such as those at Jellyfish Pictures can work in several fields, including film, TV, and games for PC, consoles, and mobile devices. The slot features found on iGaming platforms is another area where animators and game designers are crucial to the success of the game.
Mitchell told Hindustan Times ahead of Kung Fu Panda 4’s release that “there’s not a lot of difference” between star Jack Black and the panda he plays, Po. In a separate interview with Hindustan Times, Black admitted that this makes his preparation easier. He can “Maybe just think back to when I was a kid and put on a show – my personal Kung Fu.”
Black sees himself in Po: “Especially when he meditates and all those thoughts pop around his head, I’m exactly the same. Very difficult to quiet my inner voices, and there are several of me in there. I do relate to his youthful enthusiasm and sense of play and adventure. That’s the kind of way I live my life too.”
Mitchell said Black is now “very much” a co-creator, and a lot of the jokes, especially those on meditation, came from “riffing and having fun.”
Inside Out 2
Another sequel, Inside Out 2, was among the biggest animated films in 2024 in Asia. The original movie was loved by critics, who called it “wickedly smart” (The Playlist) and “wildly original and inventive” (Deadline). The film centered around Riley, a young girl whose personified emotions are distinct characters.
While not quite as lauded as the first film in the franchise, the sequel still received 90 per cent positive reviews from critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Calum Cooper of Cinerama Film said the original “remains the gold standard for modern animation” but the sequel contains an “engrossing animation style.”
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba
The Demon Slayer series was adapted from the hit manga series and has been universally applauded, with an 8.6/10 rating on IMDb. The fourth season of Demon Slayer premiered in 2024, and is streaming on Netflix in the US. The season focuses on the Ubuyashiki clan preparing for one last battle to defeat the Demon leader once and for all.
NME wrote that the series is notable for “its strong, bloody violence and arresting animation style” but actor Natsuki Hanae, who voices protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, says it is watched by all ages in Japan. He explained Demon Slayer’s popularity by saying: “Its themes are universal: family, the bonds between siblings… People everywhere can relate. I think that must be what’s vibrating through the whole world.”
Hanae was originally meant to audition for the role of Zenitsu Agatsuma, but landed the lead role after it was decided that both male and female actors would audition. “It’s common for female actors to play male characters in anime,” says Hanae.
Hanae’s favourite moment while performing the series so far was in season one in episode 11, the Tsuzumi Mansion episode. He has stated that this was his favorite moment from the manga, so he was “really looking forward” to recreating it.
Are there any big animated films to come in 2025?
Animal Friends, a live-action/animated hybrid, is set to be released in August. It will star huge American and Canadian stars including Aubrey Plaza, Ryan Reynolds, and Vince Vaughn.
Zootopia 2 will follow in November 2025. The original film won the 2017 Oscar for Best Animated Film.
With a to-be-confirmed release date, Netflix will premiere In Your Dreams in 2025. The film is directed by Alex Woo and scored by John Debney, renowned for his work on films like The Jungle Book (2016) and Texas Rising.
