Jennifer Yuh Nelson On Directing ‘Kung Fu Panda 2′

The first “Kung Fu Panda” movie, which was released in 2008, made north of $631 million dollars worldwide


and became an instant gem in the DreamWorks canon that begged for a sequel. That sequel, “Kung Fu Panda 2,” will be released tomorrow and was helmed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who migrated to a director role after serving as head of story on the first. Speakeasy chatted with Nelson about how 3-D will enhance the viewer experience this time around, how to make it in a male-dominated industry and why feathers are so challenging to draw.
The Wall Street Journal: What was it like going from head of story on the first film to director on the second?
Jennifer Yuh Nelson: It was surprisingly easy because I’ve had the same crew for close to five years. We all work well together so the support system was strong. When you’re head of story, you’re more involved in the front half of the film, as far as the production pipeline. When you’re directing, you’re involved with every piece of the movie that comes through. It was cool because the kind of steps they’re taking so late in the process were really inspiring.