"Kung Fu Panda"
Panda-ering to fans, DreamWorks Animation has officially confirmed that a sequel to its animated hit "Kung Fu Panda" is in the works and has set a release date of June 3, 2011.
The film, which will reunite Jack Black as kung fu fan Po, Angelina Jolie and other members of the original voice cast, will be released in 3-D -- the new standard for all DWA movies starting next year -- on regular and Imax screens worldwide.
Jennifer Yu Helson, who was head of story on "Panda," has been upped to director for the sequel. Melissa Cobb will repeat her duties as producer, and Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who were writers and co-producers on the first film, also are returning.
The 2011 date means that "Panda" will be sharing the summer with Disney/Pixar's "Cars 2," which Disney moved from a 2012 release to summer 2011 last week.
The original "Panda," which grossed more than $626 million worldwide, is DWA's most successful nonsequel. It will be released on two-disc DVD and Blu-ray, containing a new companion story "Secrets of the Furious Five," on Nov. 9.