Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Lately we've been hearing a lot about Hollywood forays into China... the country can be a big box office generator.
American films usually come out domestically first and then eventually make it to Asia.
But tomorrow a major film will be released on the same date in both the US and China.
That film is Kung Fu Panda 3 - the latest in the franchise about Po - a plump bear and somewhat reluctant martial arts master voiced by actor Jack Black.
In this film, Po reunites with his long-lost father who takes him home to a Panda Village.
Po, who's never really seen another panda before, is blown away and now has to figure out how to help his new community from an foe.
For more on the making of this cross cultural production, I spoke to writers and producers Jon Aibel and Glenn Berger.
Before they were writing movies featuring animals who practiced kung fu, Berger said they worked in the... less fun business of finance management.
They'll explain how they found their way into Hollywood and why the Kung Fu Panda series has found so much successs in more than one country.