History Trivia / KungFuPanda

* DuelingMovies: The third installment dueled the ill-fated ''WesternAnimation/NormOfTheNorth'' at the box office in 2016 thanks to that film having a similar story. ''Panda'' [[{{Understatement}} blew that one away]]. It later went on to face the real challenger, Disney's ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'' (but not at the box office); that film uses anthropomorphic characters and a character voiced by J.K. Simmons as well.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2011, a man named Jayme Gordon attempted to sue DWA for stealing his ideas for a panda kung fu character. After two years of litigation in which Gordon tried to get a multi-million dollar settlement (Creator/DreamWorks rejected all attempts at it), DWA, their lawyers, and Jeffrey Katzenberg finally discovered a ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' coloring book by Creator/{{Disney}} that had '''very suspiciously''' similar artwork outlines to what Gordon had presented as evidence (his presentations were dated to have been created when Katzenberg was still chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; the Disney coloring book was published in 1996, two years after Katzenberg had left Disney). Gordon immediately dropped his lawsuit and earned his [[LaserGuidedKarma own dose of legal problems from prosecutors]] when they charged him with wire fraud, perjury, and destroying critical documents in his ill-fated attempt to rip off [=DreamWorks=] Animation two years later for taking the Disney drawings and trying to pass them off as his own; this earned him two years in prison, three years of supervised release after, and forced him to pay back the $3 million DWA spent on legal bills. Plus, the idea of Disney filing their own lawsuit against Gordon for [[SerialNumbersFiledOff plagiarizing one of their books for extortion purposes]] may not be far off as well.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/LucyLiu's previous role before Viper? [[Film/KillBill O-Ren Ishii,]] also known by the name of "Cottonmouth" (Liu had also been associated with Jackie Chan and James Sie previously when she voiced the adult Jade Chan in a late Season 4 episode of ''Jackie Chan Adventures'', which actually had another ''Kill Bill'' alumni, David Carradine, in an earlier episode, as well as fellow actor James Hong).
** Monkey's VA is Jackie Chan. His son played Monkey's voice in ''Secrets of the Furious Five,'' and Monkey's VA for the TV series is the same man who played Jackie Chan himself in ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' (he also played that series' BigBad, Shendu)!
** At one point, Master Croc does [[Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme a full split]].
** Many of Black's phrases get snuck into the film, such as "Skadoosh!" That one in particular was [[spoiler:the PreMortemOneLiner against Tai Lung.]]

* CastingGag: In ''Secrets of the Furios Five'', Young Monkey's voice actor is Jaycee Chan, the son of Jackie Chan, who voices the older Monkey.

* DuelingMovies: The third installment dueled the ill-fated ''WesternAnimation/NormOfTheNorth'' at the box office in 2016 thanks to that film having a similar story. ''Panda'' [[{{Understatement}} blew that one away]]. It later went on to face the real challenger, Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' (but not at the box office); that film uses anthropomorphic characters and a character voiced by J.K. Simmons as well.

** The script didn't have Tai Lung destroying the village in a rampage after being denied the scroll, but WordOfGod said test audiences found Tai Lung too likeable and relatable, so they added that in order to make him seem more villainous.

* OneOfUs: Both Creator/JackBlack and Creator/AngelinaJolie have commented on shipping [[InterspeciesRomance Po and Tigress]] together, with Jolie even going as far as to say she'd be all for "panda-tiger babies"!

** AwesomenessIsAForce

* DuelingMovies: The third installment dueled the ill-fated ''WesternAnimation/NormOfTheNorth'' at the box office in 2016 thanks to that film having a similar story. ''Panda'' [[{{Understatement}} blew that one away]]. It will move on to face the real challenger, Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' (but not at the box office); that film uses anthropomorphic characters and a character voiced by J.K. Simmons as well.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2011, a man named Jayme Gordon attempted to sue DWA for stealing his ideas for a panda kung fu character. After two years of litigation in which Gordon tried to get a multi-million dollar settlement (Creator/DreamWorks rejected all attempts at it), DWA, their lawyers, and Jeffrey Katzenberg finally discovered a ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' coloring book by Creator/{{Disney}} that had '''very suspiciously''' similar artwork outlines to what Gordon had presented as evidence (his presentations were dated to have been created when Katzenberg was still chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; the Disney coloring book was published in 1996, two years after Katzenberg had left Disney). Gordon immediately dropped his lawsuit and earned his [[LaserGuidedKarma own dose of legal problems from prosecutors]] when they charged him with wire fraud, perjury, and destroying critical documents in his ill-fated attempt to rip off [=DreamWorks=] Animation two years later for taking the Disney drawings and trying to pass them off as his own; [[http://deadline.com/2015/12/kung-fu-panda-indictment-fraud-perjury-dreamworks-animation-1201671213/ this can net him up to 25 years in prison]] (20 years for the fabricating and ripping off of '''Disney''' as well as [=DreamWorks=], part of which saw him destroy evidence he was legally obliged to produce, and 5 for lying under oath) although DWA is barred from filing a countersuit to recover the money they spent on legal bills (the idea of Disney filing their own lawsuit against Gordon for [[SerialNumbersFiledOff plagiarizing one of their books for extortion purposes]] may not be far off, though).

** The second film managed to beat ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars2}}'' in the box office race when it was critically acclaimed and viewed by some as an EvenBetterSequel while ''Cars'' managed to break Creator/{{Pixar}}'s critical winning streak by falling victim to {{Sequelitis}} and earning a Rotten rating on Website/RottenTomatoes (it's still the only Pixar movie to be critically panned).

* TheOtherDarrin: In the TV series the voices of Po, Master Shifu and the Furious Five are replaced by their video game counterparts.
** In the second film, [[spoiler: Po's biological father Li]] was voiced by Fred Tatasciore. In the third film, he's voiced by Bryan Cranston. It helps that Tatasciore didn't have many lines in the film, making it easier for Cranston to voice the character.

* RealLifeRelative: The bunny during the dream opening of the first film who calls Po attractive is voiced by Jack Black's wife, Tanya Haden.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In an early version of the original movie's script, Po was intended to be something of a ParodySue, expecting the Furious Five to love him and adore him as much as he liked them. Apparently, Jack Black intervened because he realized how unlikeable this made the character, and urged the writers to change Po to being insecure and well aware of his own flaws.

*** For the second movie, there was time in the plot where a female mantis was going to eat him.

** The original script didn't have Tai Lung destroying the village in a rampage after being denied the scroll, but WordOfGod said test audiences found Tai Lung too likeable and relatable, so they added that in order to make him seem more villainous.
** Before ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' was released, there was [[AllThereInTheManual information]] that pointed out a different backstory for Lord Shen then from what was shown: Shen's parents were said to be ashamed of his albino coloring and poor health, so they left him in the care of their advisor, the Soothsayer, who raised him like her own. Traces of this can be seen as Shen is never outright cruel to the Soothsayer, such as how he releases her before the launch of his armada, meaning that he still respects her for showing him love. This is the backstory used in the novelization.
** The Wolf Boss was originally going to be a crow, but the creators thought that would make him too similar to Shen.
** [[http://www.nick.com/pictures/kung-fu-panda-legends-of-awesomeness/kung-fu-panda-enemy-art-flipbook.html This gallery of early concept art]] reveals that [[KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness Fung's]] name in the initial planning stages was "Dirk."

*** Kai was also originally part of Tai Lung's gang and was designed as a "Four-Armed Yak Demon God on Fire" as seen [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kungfupanda/images/1/13/Four-armed-yak.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160206234110 here]]. But he was later redesigned to have two arms and became the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3''.

* AllStarCast[=/=]CelebrityVoiceActor: Creator/JackBlack, Creator/LucyLiu, Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/JackieChan, Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/SethRogen, Creator/DavidCross and Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan are either primary focus characters or have significant roles in the film.

* GrowingTheBeard: Served as this for the Creator/DreamworksAnimation Studio. Following it's release and success, Dreamworks backed away from trying to duplicating the Shrek formula. Even the Shrek's next [[WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter sequel]] and [[WesternAnimation/PussInBoots spinoff]] took more of a page from ''Kung Fu Panda's'' book.

* TheOtherDarrin / ThePoorMansSubstitute: In the TV series the voices of Po, Master Shifu and the Furious Five are replaced by their video game counterparts.

* PlayingAgainstType: [[Film/CharliesAngels Lucy]] [[Film/KillBill Liu]] as sweet-natured, kindly Viper.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2011, a man named Jayme Gordon attempted to sue DWA for stealing his ideas for a panda kung fu character. After two years of litigation in which Gordon tried to get a multi-million dollar settlement (Creator/DreamWorks rejected all attempts at it), DWA, their lawyers, and Jeffrey Katzenberg finally discovered a ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' coloring book by Creator/{{Disney}} that had '''very suspiciously''' similar artwork outlines to what Gordon had presented as evidence (his presentations were dated to have been created when Katzenberg was still chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; the Disney coloring book was published in 1996, two years after Katzenberg had left Disney). Gordon immediately dropped his lawsuit and earned his [[LaserGuidedKarma own dose of legal problems from prosecutors]] when they charged him with wire fraud, perjury, and destroying critical documents in his ill-fated attempt to rip off [=DreamWorks=] Animation two years later for taking the Disney drawings and trying to pass them off as his own; [[http://deadline.com/2015/12/kung-fu-panda-indictment-fraud-perjury-dreamworks-animation-1201671213/ this can net him up to 25 years in prison]] (20 years for the fabricating and ripping off of '''Disney''' as well as [=DreamWorks=], part of which saw him destroy evidence he was legally obliged to produce, and 5 for lying under oath) as well as possibly incur a countersuit from DWA to recover the money they spent on legal bills (the idea of Disney filing their own lawsuit against Gordon for [[SerialNumbersFiledOff plagiarizing one of their books for extortion purposes]] may not be far off, either).

* GrowingTheBeard: Served as this for the DreamworksAnimation Studio. Following it's release and success, Dreamworks backed away from trying to duplicating the Shrek formula. Even the Shrek's next [[WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter sequel]] and [[WesternAnimation/PussInBoots spinoff]] took more of a page from ''Kung Fu Panda's'' book.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2011, a man named Jayme Gordon attempted to sue DWA for stealing his ideas for a panda kung fu character. After two years of litigation in which Gordon tried to get a multi-million dollar settlement (DreamWorks rejected all attempts at it), DWA, their lawyers, and Jeffrey Katzenberg finally discovered a ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' coloring book by Creator/{{Disney}} that had '''very suspiciously''' similar artwork outlines to what Gordon had presented as evidence (his presentations were dated to have been created when Katzenberg was still chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; the Disney coloring book was published in 1996, two years after Katzenberg had left Disney). Gordon immediately dropped his lawsuit and earned his [[LaserGuidedKarma own dose of legal problems from prosecutors]] when they charged him with wire fraud, perjury, and destroying critical documents in his ill-fated attempt to rip off [=DreamWorks=] Animation two years later for taking the Disney drawings and trying to pass them off as his own; [[http://deadline.com/2015/12/kung-fu-panda-indictment-fraud-perjury-dreamworks-animation-1201671213/ this can net him up to 25 years in prison]] (20 years for the fabricating and ripping off of '''Disney''' as well as [=DreamWorks=], part of which saw him destroy evidence he was legally obliged to produce, and 5 for lying under oath) as well as possibly incur a countersuit from DWA to recover the money they spent on legal bills (the idea of Disney filing their own lawsuit against Gordon for [[SerialNumbersFiledOff plagiarizing one of their books for extortion purposes]] may not be far off, either).

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2011, a man named Jayme Gordon attempted to sue DWA for stealing his ideas for a panda kung fu character. After two years of litigation in which Gordon tried to get a multi-million dollar settlement (DreamWorks rejected all attempts at it), DWA, their lawyers, and Jeffrey Katzenberg finally discovered a ''[[Disney/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' coloring book by Creator/{{Disney}} that had '''very suspiciously''' similar artwork outlines to what Gordon had presented as evidence (his presentations were dated to have been created when Katzenberg was still chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; the Disney coloring book was published in 1996, two years after Katzenberg had left Disney). Gordon immediately dropped his lawsuit and earned his [[LaserGuidedKarma own dose of legal problems from prosecutors]] when they charged him with wire fraud, perjury, and destroying critical documents in his ill-fated attempt to rip off [=DreamWorks=] Animation two years later for taking the Disney drawings and trying to pass them off as his own; [[http://deadline.com/2015/12/kung-fu-panda-indictment-fraud-perjury-dreamworks-animation-1201671213/ this can net him up to 25 years in prison]] (20 years for the fabricating and ripping off of '''Disney''' as well as [=DreamWorks=], part of which saw him destroy evidence he was legally obliged to produce, and 5 for lying under oath) as well as possibly incur a countersuit from DWA to recover the money they spent on legal bills (the idea of Disney filing their own lawsuit against Gordon for plagiarizing one of their books for extortion purposes may not be far off, either).

** In the Japanese dub, Po is voiced by the musician and bassist Tatsuya Yamaguchi, albeit only in the first two films, when he's replaced with Setsuji Sato instead in the third one.

** In the second film, [[spoiler: Po's biological father Li]] was voiced by Fred Tatasciore. In the third film, he's voiced by Bryan Cranston.

** Monkey's VA is Jackie Chan. His son played Monkey's voice in ''Secrets of the Furious Five,'' and Monkey's VA for the TV series is the same man who played Jackie Chan himself in ''JackieChanAdventures'' (he also played that series' BigBad, Shendu)!

* OneOfUs: Both Creator/JackBlack and Creator/AngelinaJolie have commented on shipping [[InterspeciesRomance Po and Tigress]] together, with Jolie even going as far as to say she'd be all for "panda-tiger babies".