Po the Panda will deal with some “tough emotional issues,” in Kung Fu Panda 2, according to producer Melissa Cobb.
Saturday at Campanile, during a DreamWorks Animation hosted animation and VFX nominees brunch, she said of the sequel: “The movie deals with pretty tough, emotional issues that he goes through, as well as a huge adventure. This movie is on a much bigger scale then the first movie. It’s been much more ambitious and hard to make from a filmmaking standpoint…It really builds on what was set up in the first movie, and has Po struggling with bigger issues than he did the first time.”
As the May 26 release data approaches, she said that at this point in production, “we are focusing on little things that we think we can do better. …If we think something can be a little more emotional, we are going in and tweaking it. Those little moments make a difference.”
When the first Panda film was in production, a single scene from the film—Tai Lung’s prison escape—was created in 3D as an early test of what was possible in the emerging digital format. The sequel therefore will be the first time Panda will come to theatres in 3D.
“We looked for places where the 3D could really enhance the storytelling,” Cobb said. “Some are emotional places where we used it to connect you more to the character.”
