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Having dominated the big screen, the big-bellied, lovable, martial arts-toting panda from Kung Fu Panda is on his way to the small screen as a CG-animated comedy series. Marking its second collaboration with DreamWorks, Nickelodeon has ordered 26 episodes of the animated series.

The two companies previously collaborated on The Penguins of Madagascar, which is now the second most-popular program among kids on television, behind only SpongeBob Squarepants.

The new series will debut next year. No plot details were given.

DreamWorks Animation officially confirmed a sequel to its animated hit Kung Fu Panda is in the works with a release date of June 3, 2011.

The film reunites Jack Black as kung fu fan Po, Angelina Jolie and other members of the original voice cast. Kung Fu Panda sequel will be released in 3-D — the new standard for all DWA movies starting next year — on regular and Imax screens worldwide. Awesome!!!

Jennifer Yu Helson, who was head of story on Panda, is promoted to director for the sequel – go girl.  

If you look into the crystal ball of movie marketing, 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 grossed more than $626 million worldwide and 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.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed that at least one additional Madagascar sequel, along with a Kung Fu Panda sequel, is in the works at Dreamworks Animation.

He called Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the second film in the series, the “second chapter in one story… there is at least one more chapter… we ultimately want to see the characters make it back to New York.”

The second Madagascar movie opens November 7.

Looks like Get Smart was the funny movie to see this week with more of a mature theme comedy compared to Kung Fu Panda.  This weekend WALL-E will prove financially more successful for kids of all ages. I saw WALL-E last night and totally and completely loved the movie. Just when I thought it was going over the top, it smoothed out into a beautiful, loving film.

June 20, 2008 - June 26, 2008

(*millions)

                         Gross                                                 Total*
1 Get Smart $57,265,789                                           $57.27
2 Kung Fu Panda $33,688,534                                   $167.58
3 Incredible Hulk, The $31,362,595                          $106.28
4 Love Guru, The $19,881,482                                  $19.88
5 Happening, The $14,945,557                                 $55.21
6 Indiana Jones Kingdom Crystal Skull $12,484,756 $294.91
7 You Don’t Mess With The Zohan $11,159,712        $88.01
8 Sex And The City $10,441,699                               $136.36
9 Iron Man $6,136,336                                              $306.92
10 Strangers, The $3,250,265                                   $50.89

A billion dollars is still a lot of dollars, despite what inflation experts might say to you. Keeping that in mind, Paramount Pictures today announced that it has topped the $1 billion mark at overseas box offices behind recent blockbusters including Iron Man and Indiana Jones 4.

Paramount stated that it has surpassed the $1 billion six weeks faster than in 2007 where it ended up with a total of $1.6 billion at international box offices. The company revealed that the latest Indiana Jones film took in more than $350 million internationally in just two weeks; Iron Man took in $210 million.

The studio hopes to follow up the success with upcoming films, including Kung Fu Panda, which has been quite successful.

“Kung Fu Panda” made it to the top of the box office this weekend. “Zohan” trails behind by $20,000.  What is really cool is that “Indy” out did “Sex and the City” in third place.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ESTIMATE

June 6 – June 8

1. Kung Fu Panda (PARAMOUNT/DREAMWORKS)

$60,000,000

2. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (SONY)

$40,000,000

3. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PARAMOUNT)

$22,800,000

4. Sex and the City (WARNER BROS./NEW LINE)

$21,300,000

5. The Strangers (UNIVERSAL/ROGUE)

$9,300,000

6. Iron Man (PARAMOUNT/MARVEL)

$7,500,000

7. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (WALT DISNEY)

$5,500,000

8. What Happens in Vegas (FOX.)

$3,400,000

9. Baby Mama (UNIVERSAL)

$779,090

10. Made of Honor (SONY)

$775,000

Steven Soderbergh’s two films Che bio and Clint Eastwood’s”The Changeling” look like crowd and judges favorites at 61st Cannes Film Festival, meaning the U.S. has a contention for the Palme d’Or.

Soderbergh’s involvement appears to be a last-minute decision.

According to Variety, for much of this week, there seemed genuine uncertainty as to whether he

As made know earlier this year, Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” world premiers at the Croisette, hopefully Sunday May 18. It suppose to be this fest’s must-attend, highest-glam event.

Variety, also, reports, out-of-competition, DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda,” an adventure, comedic chop-soc tooner, promises another Hollywood red-carpet cavalcade.

Also non-competing, as is Woody Allen’s custom, is the Spain-shot “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

Clint Eastwood’s “The Changeling,” a 1920s-set kidnap thriller, with Angelina Jolie.