Animals as the Main Characters of Madagascar

In 2005 when the first Madagascar film was released, DreamWorks, the studio that produced and distributed the film, created marketing campaigns that stated the film would create tourism awareness for the country, Madagascar. The campaign was successful and its effectiveness was reflected in the $532.7 million that it made from box office sales. Since the release of Madagascar three sequels have followed. Short films, television specials, a spinoff film and spinoff television shows have also followed suit. There have been talks of a fourth feature film, but nothing conclusive has been stated yet, to learn more on the reason it has not yet been released and if audiences have a chance of seeing the movie again, keep reading.

Madagascar opens up with scenes from a zoo in Central Park, New York where the main attraction is Alex the Lion. A Hippopotamus called Gloria, Melman a Giraffe and Marty the Zebra are his closest friends; and all four animals have anthropomorphic qualities. As the film progresses the animals escape from the zoo which leads to them getting shipped to a wild-life preserve in Kenya, on their way to Kenya the four animals and a group of penguins who planned the escape are marooned on a beach, this beach is located in the country of Madagascar. By the end of the film they have all come to terms with their lot and are acclimatizing to their situation.

The two sequels that have come after the first film, all tell the story of how Alex, Melman, Marty and Gloria keep trying to get back home to New York and how all their attempts have resulted in them landing in the wrong locations. All three films have had huge box office success, and have aided in the increase of the fan base that the franchise has. But the last film was released in 2012 and since its release there have been speculations on the certainty that a fourth film will be released, and if this release will take place there has also been speculations on when this release will happen.

The first mention of the fourth Madagascar film arose in the same year that the 3rd film was released. One of the directors of the first three films, Eric Darnell stated that there might be a fourth film but for the film to come to life it is imperative that the audience want to see the gang again. The audience wanting the fourth sequel is not the only condition for its release according Darnell, a great story that will be shocking to fans is also a condition for the making of a fourth Madagascar film. However in 2014, it was revealed that the film will be released in 2018, but this changed in 2015. DreamWorks Animation the studio that makes Madagascar went through some changes, the company decided that in every year they will only release two animated films. As a result of this Madagascar 4 was taken off the schedule for 2018 as other films had been lined up for release. Tom McGrath the second director stated that nothing conclusive has been said about the making of a fourth film. Regardless, things are being put in place but it is certain that the fans will have the opportunity to see the gang one more time.

At the helm of events in all the Madagascar films are Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria. Alex is voiced by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock plays Marty, while David Schwimmer who is mostly known for playing Ross Geller on the 90s television show Friends voices the hypochondriac Melman and Jada Pinkett Smith is Gloria the only female in the group. The Penguins who planned the escape have appeared in all three films and are an integral part of the cast. The first idea for this film came in 1998 and the goal was to make a film that would parody The Beatles, the parody will be achieved by creating a rock band of penguins that are modeled after the Beatles. But the idea was discarded, when the first film was being made Darnell decided that the penguins be added to the story, these penguins have appeared in all three films, will definitely make an appearance in a fourth film and have their own television show.