Madagascar (franchise)

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This article is about the film franchise. For the island, see Madagascar.
Madagascar
Madagascar logo.png
Creator DreamWorks Animation
Films and television
Films
Animated series
Theatrical presentations
Plays
Games
Video games
Audio
Soundtracks
Miscellaneous
Short films

Madagascar is a computer-animated franchise produced by DreamWorks Animation. Voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith are featured in the films.

The overall plot through the series follows the adventures of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa. Now they must struggle to survive while attempting to return to New York City with the help of a crafty cadre of penguins.

The series has now grossed over $1.8 billion, making it the 19th highest-grossing franchise of all time, the fourth highest-grossing animated franchise (behind Shrek, Ice Age, and Toy Story), and the second highest-grossing franchise that DreamWorks which also enjoyed steadily improving critical favor with the primary film series.

Contents

Feature films [edit]

Madagascar (2005) [edit]

Main article: Madagascar (2005 film)

Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated comedy film and the first film in the series. Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, the film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Gloria the Hippo, who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. Despite the mixed response from critics, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $532 million worldwide.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) [edit]

Main article: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a 2008 computer-animated comedy/adventure film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Madagascar. Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, the film continues the adventures of Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria, who try to escape Madagascar, but they crash-land in Africa. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and grossed over $603 million worldwide, which is higher than its predecessor.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) [edit]

Main article: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is a 2012 computer animated comedy film, and the third installment in the series, directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, along with Conrad Vernon. Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman are still struggling to get home to New York. This time, their journey takes them to Europe where they purchase a failing traveling circus as they become close friends with the staff like Stefano (sea lion), Vitaly (tiger), and Gia (jaguar). Together, they spectacularly revitalize the business even as the fanatical Monaco Animal Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) relentlessly pursues them. In the end, the zoo animals finally get back to New York, only to find that they have grown too much in spirit to return to captivity, and decide to stay with the circus instead. The film received mostly positive reviews and more critical praise than the previous two films, grossing over $742 million worldwide, marking the highest-grossing film in the series.

Future [edit]

The Penguins of Madagascar (2015) [edit]

A direct-to-video film featuring the penguins had been in the works since 2005, when the first Madagascar film had been released, with a release date planned for 2009.[1] In March 2011, it was announced that the penguin characters would be given their own feature film, similar to the 2011 Puss in Boots movie,[2] to be directed by Simon J. Smith, the co-director of Bee Movie, produced by Lara Breay, and written by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, the writers of DreamWorks' Megamind.[3] In July 2012, at Comic-Con, it was announced that the film, titled The Penguins of Madagascar, is scheduled to be released in 2015.[4] Robert Schooley, one of the producers of The Penguins series, said that the film will be unrelated to the TV series of the same name, but he did say that could always change.[5] In September 2012, 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation announced the release date for March 27, 2015, and a new pair of writers, Michael Colton and John Aboud.[6]

Madagascar 4 [edit]

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has stated that there is likely to be a fourth installment in the franchise.[7] However, in June 2012, DreamWorks Animation's head of worldwide marketing, Anne Globe, said, "It's too early to tell. There hasn't been a lot of discussion about that."[8] Eric Darnell, who co-directed all three films, said of the possibility of the fourth film: "Two things have to happen. One is that the world has to want Madagascar 4, because if they don't want it, it doesn't matter what we do. And the other thing is even if the world wants Madagascar 4, we have to make sure that we have an idea that is incredible, that is great, that is unexpected. If the audience wants it and we have a great idea, we will see — maybe."[9]

Television series [edit]

The Penguins of Madagascar [edit]

Main article: The Penguins of Madagascar

The Penguins of Madagascar is a television series that is currently airing on Nickelodeon. In a situation completely separate and apart from the Madagascar films, the series follows the adventures of the four penguins: Skipper (the leader of the group), Kowalski (the smartest), Rico (the craziest), and Private (the youngest) in New York City's Central Park Zoo. The penguins rule the roost at their Central Park habitat, carrying out secret missions in the heart of the city. At times, their missions beckon them to venture outside the zoo. King Julien, the primary antagonist, is also a resident of the zoo (though it is unknown how he, Maurice, and Mort got there) and the penguins must compete against him to maintain order in the zoo. While Tom McGrath, John DiMaggio, and Andy Richter reprised their roles as Skipper, Rico, and Mort respectively, Jeff Bennett replaced Chris Miller as Kowalski, James Patrick Stuart replaced Christopher Knights as Private, Danny Jacobs replaced Sacha Baron Cohen as Julien, and Kevin Michael Richardson replaced Cedric the Entertainer as Maurice. The series also features a new character, Marlene, an otter voiced by Nicole Sullivan.

Season Episodes Originally aired (U.S. dates)
Season premiere Season finale
1 48 November 29, 2008 (2008-11-29)[10] February 15, 2010 (2010-02-15)
2 68 March 13, 2010 (2010-03-13) March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31)
3 26 April 16, 2012 (2012-04-16)[11] N/A
Unaired 7 N/A

In addition to episodes that have aired, a number of other episodes have been produced. Some of these were scheduled for broadcast but never aired, while others are yet to be placed on Nickelodeon's U.S. schedule. In the past, some episodes were first released on DVD before being aired on TV. The first such episode was "Popcorn Panic", which was originally released on DVD but eventually aired on May 9, 2009. All the episodes which remain unaired in the US have been aired in other countries, meaning that all episodes have aired.

Short film [edit]

The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper [edit]

Main article: The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper

The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper is a computer-animated short film, which premiered in theaters on October 7, 2005 with the stop-motion film, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The short was directed by animation veteran Gary Trousdale, produced by Teresa Cheng, and written by Michael Lachance. Set on the Christmas Eve, the 12-minute film features four penguins from Central Park Zoo who discover that one of them has gone missing.

Television specials [edit]

Merry Madagascar [edit]

Main article: Merry Madagascar

Merry Madagascar was a Christmas special first broadcast on the NBC network in November 2009, which starred the characters from the Madagascar film series. The story appears to takes place sometime between the first and second films. It featured many of the same voice actors as the films, including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. However, voice actor Danny Jacobs replaced Sacha Baron Cohen as the voice of the character King Julien. Carl Reiner provided the voice of Santa Claus. Santa Claus crash lands in his sleigh on Madagascar and loses his memory after Alex shoots him down, leaving him, Marty, Gloria and Melman to be Santa for the night. King Julien realises that Christmas is about giving and not receiving.

Madly Madagascar [edit]

Main article: Madly Madagascar

Madly Madagascar is a Valentine's Day-themed TV special,[12] It was released on DVD on January 29, 2013,[13] and starred all the main characters from the Madagascar film series. The story appears to take place sometime between the second and third films. It featured many of the same voice actors as the films, including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. However, voice actor Danny Jacobs once again replaced Sacha Baron Cohen as the voice of the character King Julien. King Julien finds a love potion and starts selling it to members of the watering hole, making Marty attractive to all the animals. Skipper and the penguins organise a rescue mission for his doll girlfriend. A television airdate is yet to be announced.

Characters [edit]

For a full list, see List of Madagascar characters.
Character Theatrical films Short films Specials TV Shows
Madagascar Madagascar:
Escape 2 Africa		 Madagascar 3:
Europe's Most Wanted		 The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper Merry Madagascar Madly Madagascar The Penguins of Madagascar
Alex Ben Stiller Ben Stiller
Quinn Dempsey Stiller &
Declan Swift (as a child)		 Ben Stiller Silent Cameo Ben Stiller Wally Wingert
Marty Chris Rock Chris Rock
Thomas Stanley (as a child)		 Chris Rock Silent Cameo Chris Rock
Melman David Schwimmer David Schwimmer
Zachary Gordon (as a child)		 David Schwimmer Silent Cameo David Schwimmer
Gloria Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Pinkett Smith
Willow Smith (as a child)		 Jada Pinkett Smith Silent Cameo Jada Pinkett Smith
Julien Sacha Baron Cohen Danny Jacobs
Skipper Tom McGrath
Kowalski Chris Miller Jeff Bennett
Rico John DiMaggio No lines John DiMaggio
Private Christopher Knights James Patrick Stuart
Maurice Cedric the Entertainer Cedric the Entertainer Kevin Michael Richardson
Mort Andy Richter Andy Richter
Mason Conrad Vernon Silent Cameo Conrad Vernon
Phil Character is mute Silent Cameo Character is mute
Nana Elisa Gabrielli Elisa Gabrielli Mentioned only
Ted Bill Fagerbakke Silent Cameo
Burt Silent Cameo John DiMaggio
Santa Claus Carl Reiner Carl Reiner
Foosa Fred Tatasciore
Tom McGrath
Zuba Bernie Mac
Florrie Sherri Shepherd
Makunga Alec Baldwin
Moto Moto will.i.am
Gia Jessica Chastain
Vitaly Bryan Cranston
Stefano Martin Short
Chantel DuBois Frances McDormand
Mr. Chew Frank Welker
Cupid Nina Dobrev
Okapi Taraji P. Henson
Marlene Nicole Sullivan
Alice Mary Scheer
Note: A gray cell indicates character did not appear in that medium.

Release [edit]

Box office performance [edit]

Film Release date Revenue Rank Budget Reference
United States Foreign Worldwide All time domestic All time worldwide
Madagascar 02005-05-27May 27, 2005 $193,595,521 $339,085,150 $532,680,671 #136 #98 $75,000,000 [14][15]
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 02008-11-07November 7, 2008 $180,010,950 $423,889,404 $603,900,354 #162 #75 $150,000,000 [16]
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 02012-06-08June 8, 2012 $216,391,482 $525,718,769 $742,110,251 #108 #50 $145,000,000 [17]
Total $589,997,953 $1,288,693,323 $1,878,691,276 #25 #18 $370,000,000 [18][19]

Critical reception [edit]

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Madagascar 55% (185 reviews)[20] 57 (36 reviews)[21]
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 64% (150 reviews)[22] 61 (25 reviews)[23]
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 79% (129 reviews)[24] 60 (26 reviews)[25]
Average ratings 66% 59%

Video games [edit]

Live shows [edit]

Madagascar Live! [edit]

Madagascar Live! is a 90-minute theatre show based on the Madagascar film. It is directed by Gip Hoppe as the studio's second stage production after Shrek the Musical. The tour started on March 25, 2011, in Memphis, and was expected to visit more than 70 cities across the United States.[35] After the last show in New York, on April 24, 2011, Madagascar Live! was cancelled in the United States, citing "unforeseen circumstances" as the reason.[36] Madagascar Live! is currently touring the United Kingdom. It is visiting nine cities in the UK between January 2013 and March 2013.[37]

Madagascar Live! Prepare to Party [edit]

Madagascar Live! Prepare to Party is a 20-minute live stage show featuring Alex, King Julien, Gloria, Mort and The Penguins as they each present their special party games while dancing and singing. The show opened in 2012 in an Africa area at the UK theme park Chessington World of Adventures Resort,[38] and in DreamWorks Experience at the Australian theme park Dreamworld.[39]

Themed land [edit]

Madagascar is one of the seven themed lands in Universal Studios Singapore, and it features lush tropical jungles as well as a water ride Madagascar: A Crate Adventure and a carousel King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round.

Madagascar Madness is one of the three areas at the DreamWorks Experience themed land which is part of Australian theme park Dreamworld. It consists of suspended roller coaster Escape from Madagascar, a show stage King Julien's Theatre in the Wild, a ball play area MAD Jungle Jam and a merchandise shop Madagascar Cargo Hold.

Chronology [edit]

In order of the Madagascar franchise history:

  1. The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper (2005)
  2. Madagascar (2005)
  3. Merry Madagascar (2009)
  4. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
  5. Madly Madagascar (2013)
  6. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

The Penguins of Madagascar (2008–present) does not take place in the continuity of the franchise.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Fritz, Ben (September 14, 2005). "D'Works will rely on animal instinct". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 
  2. ^ Kit, Borys (March 29, 2011). "DreamWorks Developing 'Madagascar' Penguins Spinoff Movie (Exclusive)". HollywoodReporter.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
  3. ^ Kit, Borys (August 11, 2011). "'Madagascar' Spin-Off to Be Helmed by 'Bee Movie' Co-Director (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2011. 
  4. ^ B. Vary, Adam (July 12, 2012). "DreamWorks Animation Comic-Con panel: Caveman families and penguin movies!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 13, 2012. 
  5. ^ "Email Interview With Robert Schooley". Total Media Bridge. July 19, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012. 
  6. ^ DreamWorks Animation (September 9, 2012). "New Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Unveils DreamWorks Animation's Release Slate Through 2016". DreamWorks Animation. Retrieved September 10, 2012. 
  7. ^ O'Hara, Helen (December 3, 2010). "Katzenberg Talks DreamWorks Sequels". EmpireOnline.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010. 
  8. ^ "'Madagascar 3' beats 'Prometheus" for box office win". MSNBC. June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012. 
  9. ^ Harada, Kai (July 27, 2012). "'Madagascar' director Darnell returns to complete his trilogy". The Japan Times. Retrieved August 4, 2012. 
  10. ^ ""The Penguins of Madagascar" Gone in a Flash (2008)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 11, 2009. 
  11. ^ "Episodes: The Penguins of Madagascar". TV Guide. Retrieved April 8, 2012. 
  12. ^ "Madagascar 3". Copyright Promotions Licensing Group. Retrieved February 13, 2012. 
  13. ^ "Madly Madagascar (2013)". Amazon. Retrieved December 16, 2012. 
  14. ^ "Madagascar (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  15. ^ "Madagascar". The Numbers. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  16. ^ "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  17. ^ "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  18. ^ "Madagascar Moviesat the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  19. ^ "Madagascar Franchise Box Office History". The Numbers. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 
  20. ^ "Madagascar (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
  21. ^ "Madagascar". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
  22. ^ "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
  23. ^ "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
  24. ^ "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-06-08. 
  25. ^ "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-06-08. 
  26. ^ "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa™ and Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors™ Now Available at Retailers Nationwide". DreamWorks Animation. November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2011. 
  27. ^ "The Penguins of Madagascar Available Today" (Press release). THQ. 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2011-08-02. 
  28. ^ "Only Team Penguin Can Save the World From Dolphin Domination in THQ'S The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns – Again!" (Press release). THQ. 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-09-21. 
  29. ^ "DreamWorks Super Star Kartz". Metacritic. Retrieved October 28, 2011. 
  30. ^ O'Connor, Alice (September 8, 2011). "DreamWorks Super Star Kartz announced". Shacknews. Retrieved October 28, 2011. 
  31. ^ DreamWorks Animation (June 4, 2012). "Madagascar: Join the Circus! App for iPad Now Available on the App Store". Business Wire. Retrieved September 13, 2012. 
  32. ^ "Madagascar -- Join the Circus!". iTunes. Retrieved September 13, 2012. 
  33. ^ "D3PUBLISHER REVEALS PRODUCT NEWS FOR THE UPCOMING MADAGASCAR 3: THE VIDEO GAME". D3 Publisher. March 20, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012. 
  34. ^ a b "Leading Kids Educational Game Company Launches Online & Mobile Learning Adventures Featuring DreamWorks Animation Franchises". DreamWorks Animation. October 4, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012. 
  35. ^ Broadway.com Staff (2010-10-19). "Madagascar Live to Hit the Road, with Stop at Radio City Music Hall". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2011-07-30. 
  36. ^ "Madagascar Live! cancelled in Toronto". Toronto Star. 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2011-07-30. 
  37. ^ "DreamWorks' Madagascar Live! tours UK arenas next year". WhatsOnStage.com. October 11, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2013. 
  38. ^ "Madagascar LIVE! Prepare to Party - New for 2012". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved April 14, 2012. 
  39. ^ "DREAMWORKS MADAGASCAR LIVE! PREPARE TO PARTY - DAILY SHOWS". Dreamworld. Retrieved April 14, 2012. 

External links [edit]

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