Madagascar

Madagascar is a 2005 American animated adventure comedy film directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, who wrote the screenplay alongside Mark Burton and Billy Frolick. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks, the film stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith as a quartet of anthropomorphic animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar and must adjust to living in the wild. Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter also voice supporting roles. The film features a musical score by Hans Zimmer, and also features a cover version by Cohen of "I Like to Move It" by Reel 2 Real, which has since become a recurring theme song throughout the franchise.

Madagascar was released in the United States by DreamWorks Pictures on May 27, 2005. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the visuals and appeal, but criticized the story and humor. It was a success at the box office, grossing $558 million on a production budget of $75 million, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2005. The success of Madagascar launched a multimedia franchise, which includes two sequels, a spin-off film, several short films, television series and specials and a number of video games, theme park attractions and live stage shows.