Madagascar is a 2005 American computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images, and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Mark Burton, Billy Frolick, Darnell, and McGrath, and features the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith, with Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter voicing secondary characters. The film's plot revolves on four animals from the Central Park Zoo who unexpectedly find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar, and must learn to adapt to the wild.
It is DreamWorks Animation's 10th theatrical feature film.
Madagascar was released to theaters on May 27, 2005. Despite its mixed critical reception, it was a success at the box office. The film launched a franchise with a series of films, including the sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008 and the triquel Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 2012. A spin-off featuring the series' penguin characters, Penguins of Madagascar, was released on November 26, 2014. Madagascar is also DreamWorks Animation's successful film to date, and it held the title of being the highest-grossing animated film of all time until Rio surpassed it in 2011.
In Flushed Away, an Alex the Lion toy is seen in the background of the kid’s room.
The famous Wilhelm Scream was heard when the people in the subway are panicking while the zoo animals are escaping.
The penguins were originally going to be a barbershop quartet, but were changed over to military commandos.
Originally, In this Madagascar film, Melman and Glorida were suppose to fall in love and have a baby hippo. But since the film just came out, they thought this might be weird for a giraffe and a hippo to fall in love. So they put the love story Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa instead.
Originally, Melman was going to be an okapi. But he was changed to a giraffe to become a more familiar animal.
The plane used by the lemurs is a Lockheed Electra, the same plane that pilot Emilia Earhart went missing in.
The animals that the quartet are aren't actually housed in the Central Park Zoo. Put there are penguins.
The plot was originally going to be about animal rights activist liberating the animals out of the zoo.
