By Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY
Red Carpet Report:Kung Fu Panda 2
By Stephen Lovekin,, Getty Images
Actor Jack Black attends the New York premiere of Kung Fu Panda II at the Ziegfeld Theatre.
By Stephen Lovekin,, Getty Images
Actor Jack Black attends the New York premiere of Kung Fu Panda II at the Ziegfeld Theatre.
What: The 3-D, animated sequel continued its worldwide trek with a stop in New York.
Where: Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City
When: Tuesday morning
Guest list: Jack Black (who plays Po the panda) and Lucy Liu (as Viper the snake), plus panda-monium provided by excited schoolchildren from PS 155.
Would you like some coffee with that?KFP 2 star Angelina Jolie skipped the premiere that welcomed Liu hitting the early red carpet in an glam Antonio Berardi dress while Black energized photographers with flying leaps, push-ups and karate chops. "You forget it's the morning because you're generally jet-lagged anyway," said Liu. Black's assistant dabbed at his forehead between interviews. "All Kung Fu masters have a beautician," he joked, pleased his calisthenics were noticed. "I'm glad you saw it because I'm not going to do it again. I try. I work it. I take care of the body. Just cause I'm large doesn't mean I'm not in charge."
Speaking of Angelina:Kung Fu Panda 2 made its initial debut during this month's Cannes Film Festival, but, "I didn't have time to see one movie," Black admits. "I would have seen Tree of Life because now me and Angie are friends and I would have liked to have supported her guy, Brad (Pitt)."
Inside the sequel: The 3-D tale explores Po's adoption and who his real father is. "Those answers are explained," said Black. "It takes it to a real emotional place that we didn't in the first (film)." Liu is still amazed at how the characters' voices, recorded separately, are cobbled together with the animation. "My favorite part is really being in the audience with kids, that's the most special part," she said.
Kids incorporated: Black says sons Thomas, 4, and Sammy, 3, don't know Po is really, um, Dad. "They like the movie but they don't understand the concept of voiceover acting. They don't know it's me, really," said Black. Back in December Black told USA TODAY he didn't want his kids to know he was a movie star, but now he admits "the cat's kind of out of the bag."
Po the party planner: Black threw youngest son Sammy a birthday party on Saturday and came out with these rules: "You want to make sure all of his favorite people from school are there," he said. "Not too much sugar, that's the common mistake, loading them up on sugar early. Wait till the end of the party for the cake and then wrap it up. I'm going to say two hours max on a good party." And leave the mess to someone else, he said. "We did it at a play place, cause then it's like, 'Is it cool if we leave all our garbage here?'"
Summer sizzle: "We're going to go out to my dad's 70th birthday," shared Black. "He lives out on a farm so we're looking forward to going out and doing that." Liu is hanging up her stilettos. "I think I'm actually going to actually take a break this summer and sort of veg out completely," said Liu.
News you can use: While Black is getting ready to release a darker performance in upcoming film Bernie (opposite Shirley MacLaine), Liu is planning an even bigger departure. "I have an art book coming out in the fall," she said. "It's a book of paintings. I've been painting for awhile but this is the first time I'll actually release something."
Angela Marcello KarolĂna Kurková Cristina Dumitru Noureen DeWulf Jaime King
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