HOLLYWOOD ICON JAMES HONG TO BE IMMORTALIZED AT THE LEGENDARY TCL CHINESE THEATRE IMAX® WITH HAND AND FOOTPRINT CEREMONY IN CELEBRATION OF HIS GROUNDBREAKING CAREER, HIS 95TH BIRTHDAY AND THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW DREAMWORKS ANIMATION FILM "KUNG FU PANDA 4"

On Thursday, February 22, James Hong, trailblazing actor and tireless advocate for Asian American artists, will have his hands and feet immortalized in cement at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX^® on Hollywood Blvd.

DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 arrives in theaters on March 8, 2024.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, February 22, at 11:00 a.m., Hollywood icon James Hong will have his hands and feet immortalized in cement at an official ceremony at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX^® on Hollywood Blvd. This special ceremony is set to celebrate the release of Hong's latest film, DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4, to mark Hong's 95^th birthday, and to recognize and applaud his unparalleled contributions to the entertainment industry over his astounding seven-decade career.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Chinese immigrant parents, Hong has carved an unprecedented path in Hollywood. From his beginnings as a stand-up comedian in the 1950s to his first uncredited film roles in multiple 1954-55 films, to a multitude of versatile and groundbreaking acting roles, Hong tenaciously pursued his dreams, overcoming the challenges posed by the lack of substantial roles for Asian actors during that era.

Now, at the age of 94, Hong's illustrious career boasts more than 600 credits, a testament to his remarkable versatility and talent showcased across myriad roles. These include portraying the headwaiter in Flower Drum Song (1961); Kahn, Evelyn Mulwray's loyal butler in Chinatown (1974); eye manufacturer Chew in Blade Runner (1982); David Lo Pan in cult classic Big Trouble in Little China (1986); the sharp private eye Shin in Black Widow (1987); Jeff Wong in Wayne's World 2 (1993); as the voice of Chi Fu in Mulan (1998); and recently as Gong Gong in the Best Picture Oscar^®-winner Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

Hong continues to charm audiences with his endearing portrayal of Mr. Ping, the adoptive father of Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black), in DreamWorks Animation's beloved Kung Fu Panda franchise, which has earned almost $2 billion worldwide, with three films spanning almost 16 years. Hong returns to the role of Mr. Ping, a devoted father goose and proud owner of a thriving noodle shop, for the first time in almost a decade in Kung Fu Panda 4 (in theaters March 8).

The TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX^® handprints-footprints tribute is the most selective of all Hollywood honors. Over the course of 96 years, only 250-plus such honors have been presented. Movie exhibitor Sid Grauman opened The Chinese in 1927 and launched the handprints-footprints ceremony a year later as a promotion to advertise his many premieres and first-run films. Among the first handprints and footprints were those of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

Notably, it wasn't until 1991 that an Asian American actor first made a historic addition to the esteemed roster of Hollywood icons who have imprinted their hands and feet at the TCL Chinese IMAX^®, when George Takei joined the list alongside his Star Trek co-stars. Since then, a select group of Asian and Asian-American actors and filmmakers have been honored, including actor Jackie Chan and directors John Woo and Justin Lin.

Hong now joins a list of Hollywood acting luminaries that includes Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Humphry Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas, Steve McQueen, Sidney Poitier, and Hong's Chinatown co-star Jack Nicholson.

In addition to his on-screen accomplishments, Hong has actively addressed the challenges faced by Asian actors by advocating for better representation in the industry. In 1965, he co-founded the East West Players, the nation's longest-running Asian American theater, with a commitment to raising the visibility of the Asian American experience. Since then, East West Players continues to build platforms for artists of color while advocating for multi-faceted representations in the performing arts.

About Kung Fu Panda 4
This spring, for the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world's most unlikely kung fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation's beloved action-comedy franchise: Kung Fu Panda 4.

After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he's tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

Even worse, there's been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar^® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po's Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

So, Po's going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po's fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon's reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.

The film features the voice talent of returning stars Academy Award^® winner Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master, Shifu; James Hong (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Po's adoptive father, Mr. Ping; Academy Award^® nominee Bryan Cranston as Po's birth father, Li, and Emmy Award nominee Ian McShane as Tai Lung, Shifu's former student and arch-nemesis. Oscar^® winner Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins the ensemble as a new character, Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is directed by Mike Mitchell (DreamWorks Animation's Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and produced by Rebecca Huntley (DreamWorks Animation's The Bad Guys). The film's co-director is Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power). In 2008, the Academy Award^®-nominated 2008 inaugural chapter, Kung Fu Panda, became DreamWorks Animation's highest-grossing original animated film and launched a franchise that has earned more than $1.8 billion at the global box-office.

https://www.dreamworks.com/kung-fu-panda 

About The TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX^®
Since 1927, The TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX^® has been the home of the most important, star powered red carpet movie premieres and special events, where Hollywood's biggest and brightest talents have come to watch their movies.

In 2013, the main theatre was relaunched as the world's largest IMAX^® theatre. The most famous movie theatre on the globe is world-renowned for its unique forecourt of the stars, featuring cement hand and footprints of major movie stars, from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt, and numerous stars from all eras of Hollywood.

In addition to being a major international tourist destination, The TCL Chinese Theatre, and its six adjacent cinemas, the TCL Chinese 6, are everyday working movie theatres, hosting millions of moviegoers year round.

The TCL Chinese Theatre was declared a historic-cultural landmark in 1968, and there has always been a restoration program in process to maintain the theatre's beauty. With its current facelift and new name and new added amenities and event spaces, guided by a new and vigorous ownership team, the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX and its famed "hands and footprints in cement" forecourt will continue to be the preferred location for tourist visits and the entertainment industry's most prestigious red carpet premieres for years to come.

Unlike other Hollywood awards, The TCL Chinese Theatre handprints-footprints tribute is the most selective of all, since over the course of 95 years only 250-plus such honors have been presented. Movie exhibitor Sid Grauman, who was one of Hollywood's best known and most creative showmen, opened The Chinese in 1927 and launched the handprints-footprints ceremony a year later, as a promotion to advertise his many premieres and first run films. Among the first handprints and footprints were those of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

Today, The TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt is among the world's most photographed tourist sites, annually attracting as many visitors as the Taj Mahal in India and the Prado Museum in Madrid. Along with Disneyland and Universal Studios, The TCL Chinese Theatre is among Los Angeles' top five tourist attractions, according to About.com.

The TCL Chinese Theatre hosts more than 40 red carpet film premieres annually and since it opened, it has hosted three Academy Award^® ceremonies and numerous world premieres, including those for internationally-acclaimed film franchises, such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. More movie popcorn has been consumed here by more famous faces than anywhere else on earth and The TCL Chinese Theatre celebrated its 95th birthday in 2022.

www.tclchinesetheatres.com 

SOURCE Universal Pictures