The DreamWorks Animation roster might not be held in the same high regard as Pixar’s steady stream of acclaimed output, but the production company has delivered more than its fair share of great movies over the years, even if there’s also been more than a few middling if not downright disappointing efforts.
The three jewels in the crown are inarguably the Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda franchises, which have combined to deliver sprawling multimedia brands that encompass movies, animated shows, short films, video games and much more, but the trio appear to have reached something of a respective crossroads.
Shrek 5 has been stalled in development hell for years now, but at least spinoff sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is penciled in to hit theaters next September. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World marked the end of the line for Hiccup and Toothless’ big screen adventures, while there’s been no word on a potential Kung Fu Panda 4 for over three years.
The latter series boasted vibrant, vivid imagination and some hugely enjoyable action sequences, earning over $1.8 billion at the box office in the process and generating solid reviews from critics and audiences alike, so it’s a little surprising that DreamWorks haven’t made it a priority to continue the adventures of Jack Black‘s Po.
In fact, there’s been no new Kung Fu Panda content since Paws of Destiny dropped on Amazon back in the summer of 2019, which isn’t encouraging for fans to hear. However, the first and second installments are coming to Netflix next month, and the all-ages entertainment value provided should ensure that they post some decent viewing numbers on the world’s biggest streaming service.