After the punishing likes of “Shrek 2,” “Madagascar” and “Shark Tale,” all hope seemed lost for Dreamworks Animation. While it wasn’t perfect by any means, “Kung Fu Panda” marked the turning of the tide; visually distinctive, heart-warming and with action sequences worthy of the best of the Shaw Brothers. Hell, Charlie Kaufman liked it so much he agreed to do a script polish on the upcoming sequel “Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom Of Doom”
Besides Jack Black, it’s unclear how many of the original voice cast, which included Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen, will be returning, but one more name certainly is being added, according to Heat Vision, in the shape of Gary Oldman. The perennial villain will play Peacock, which we can only assume is a peacock, who aids Black’s Po in his attempt to track down a group of bandits. Of course, it being Oldman, the character will apparently be more than he seems.
Despite our soft spot for the original, we’re still wary of this one — Dreamworks are still kind of cash-in hungry, as this weekend’s “Shrek Forever After” proves. But we hope that the presence of Oldman and Kaufman bodes well at least.