All 4 Madagascar Movies In Order Of Release | 2024 Updated

Written By Charles Eames
Last updated: December 10, 2022

The Madagascar series is an animated comedy series based on Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe. The franchise started with the Madagascar movie in 2005. Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath direct all the movies. 

The first movie, Madagascar movie was released on May 27, 2005. It generally received positive reviews from critics. The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was a commercial success, grossing $532 million worldwide.

The character’s animations and designs are unique and improved as the series progresses. The colors are also very vibrant. The African setting is also very different from the other movies in this genre. Madagascar movies are very open, without any secrets or suspense, but the comedy and characters make up for it.

The whole series is very family-friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The Madagascar movie series is a great watch if you’re looking for some light-hearted fun. The movies are available on DVD and Blu-ray. You can also stream them on Netflix.

The Madagascar movie series is a franchise of four comedy films released by DreamWorks Animation. It is the story of a group of Animals who escapes from the zoo and find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar. 

List of all Madagascar Movies in Order of Release

Madagascar Movies In Order
  1. Madagascar (2005)
  2. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
  3. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
  4. Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

Madagascar (2005)

Madagascar Movies In Order

Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath | Writers: Mark Burton, Billy Frolick, Eric Darnell | Stars: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 26 minutes. | Release Date: May 27, 2005, | Language: The languages are English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, and American Sign Language. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, and family. | Filming Locations: Glendale, California, USA | Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images (PDI) | Budget: The budget for the movie was $75 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $556 million.

The first movie was released in 2005 and followed the story of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe. They are animals who live in the Central Park Zoo. One day, they escape from the zoo and find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar.

They must find a way back to New York City while dealing with the challenges of living in the wild. The movie was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Mark Burton, Billy Frolick, and Eric Darnell. It starred the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

The movie was a commercial success, grossing $556 million worldwide with a budget of $75 million. It generally received positive reviews from critics.

The character’s animations and designs are unique and improved as the series progresses. The colors are also very vibrant. The African setting is also very different from the other movies in this genre.

The film starts with Marty the zebra celebrating his tenth birthday. He is then taken to the Central Park Zoo, where he lives with the other animals.

Marty dreams of escaping from the zoo and going to live in the wild. One night, he attempts to escape but is caught by the zookeepers. His friend, Alex, the lion, tries to stop him but ends up getting captured as well.

The two animals are then shipped off to Africa and released into the wild. They have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild and finding their way back to New York City. 

In the process of convincing Marty, Four of them with Penguins get shipwrecked on an island where they find a group of lemurs who think that Skipper is their king.

After knowing their proper location, king Julien XIII, Maurice, and the other lemurs help them to get back on track, but due to certain conditions, they all end up in Zimbabwe. There Marty finds that his family is alive and well, and he can finally return home.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

Madagascar Movies In Order

Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath | Writers: Etan Cohen, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath | Stars: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 29 minutes. | Release Date: November 7, 2008, | Language: The languages are English and Italian. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, and family. | Filming Locations: Glendale, California, USA | Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images (PDI) | Budget: The budget for the movie was $150 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $603 million.

The second movie was released in 2008, and it follows the story of Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman as they try to find a way back to New York City. They end up in Africa, where they have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild.

The movie was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Ethan Cohen, Darnell, and McGrath. It starred the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The movie was a commercial success, grossing $603 million worldwide with a budget of $150 million.

It received mixed reviews from critics but was still a box-office success. The character’s animations and designs are unique and improved as the series progresses. The colors are also very vibrant. The African setting is also different from the other movies in this genre.

This movie starts at the end of the first film. Marty, Alex, Gloria, and Melman are on a plane headed back to New York City when the plane crash-lands in Africa. The animals are then taken to a wildlife preserve, where they meet up with some old friends and make some new ones.

They also have to deal with the threat of poachers who are after the animals. In the end, the animals are able to escape and return to New York City.

All of them finally reach New York City, but due to certain issues, they must go back to Africa and, this time, help the animals in danger of becoming extinct.

They travel to Europe and end up in a circus where they perform daring stunts and become big hits. In the end, they are able to help the animals and return home.

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Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)

Madagascar Movies In Order

Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon | Writers: Eric Darnell, Noah Baumbach, Mark Burton | Stars: Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 33 minutes. | Release Date: June 8, 2012, | Language: The languages are English and Spanish. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, and family. | Filming Locations: Pasadena, California, USA | Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images (PDI) | Budget: The budget for the movie was $145 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $746.9 million.

The third movie was released in 2012, and it follows the story of Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman as they try to find a way back to New York City. They end up in Europe, where they have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild.

The movie was directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, and Conrad Vernon and written by Eric Darnell, Noah Baumbach, and Mark Burton.

It starred the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The movie was a commercial success, grossing $746.9 million worldwide with a budget of $145 million. It received mixed reviews from critics but was still a box-office success.

Alex and their friends decide to go to Monte Carlo and meet Penguins and chimpanzees before flying back to New York. But due to some reasons, they all get separated. Marty tries to find Alex and the others while eluding capture by Animal Control.

When Alex tries to Kidnap the Fossa king to take him back to New York, the whole plan goes haywire, and they all end up in Africa. They then have to deal with the threat of poachers who are after the animals. An animal traffic officer catches them all. 

All of them try to escape, but the traffic officer is behind them and tries to catch them. They finally succeed in outsmarting him and return to New York City. While Trying to Escape, their plane crashes, and they all end up in the hospital.

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Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

Madagascar Movies In Order

Director: Simon J. Smith, Eric Darnell | Writers: Michael Colton, John Aboud, Brandon Sawyer | Stars: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 32 minutes. | Release Date: November 26, 2014, | Language: The languages are English, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Armenian. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, sci-fi, and family. | Filming Locations: Glendale, California, USA | Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images (PDI) | Budget: The budget for the movie was $132 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $373 million.

The fourth movie was released in 2014, and it is a spin-off of the Madagascar franchise. It follows the story of Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private as they try to stop Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world.

The movie was directed by Simon J. Smith and Eric Darnell and written by Michael Colton, John Aboud, and Brandon Sawyer.

It starred the voice talents of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, Christopher Knights, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie was a commercial success, grossing $373 million worldwide with a budget of $132 million. It received mixed reviews from critics but was still a box-office success.

It is a spin-off movie that is based on Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private. The movie starts with the penguins being sent on a secret mission to stop a villain called Dr. Octavius Brine.

They successfully stop him but end up getting captured by the CIA. They then have to work with the CIA to stop another villain called Dave. 

It is an elite group that is led by a woman named Classified. They all work together to stop Dave and his minions. In the end, they successfully stop him and return to their home.

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Madagascar Movies In Order By IMDB Rating

MoviesRating on IMDB
Madagascar6.9/10
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 6.6/10
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted 6.8/10
Penguins of Madagascar 6.7/10

The Madagascar Universe

Besides The Madagascar trilogy and a spin-off movie, there is much more to the franchise. The franchise includes several short films, tv specials, and even a video game. 

Here is the list of the Complete Madagascar Universe in chronological order :

  1. Madagascar (2005) – Movie
  2. The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper (2005) – short film
  3. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) – movie
  4. Merry Madagascar (2009) – Television Special
  5. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012) – Movie
  6. Penguins of Madagascar (2014) – Spinoff Movie
  7. All Hail King Julien: New Year’s Eve Countdown (2017) – short life
  8. All Hail King Julien: Happy Birthday to You (2017) – short film
  9. The Penguins of Madagascar (2008–2015) – Television Series
  10. All Hail King Julien (2014–2017) – Television Series
  11. Madagascar: A Little Wild (2020–present) – Television Series

Other Movie Series Like Madagascar Series

If you’re looking for other movie series like the Madagascar series, here are some recommendations :

  • The Lion King (1994)
  • Babe (1995)
  • Happy Feet (2006)
  • The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993)
  • We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (1993)
  • Ice Age Movies
  • Toy Story Movies

FAQs

Are All of The Madagascar Movies Part of The Same Series?

The Madagascar movies are all part of the same series. They follow the adventures of Marty the zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe as they try to escape from captivity and return to their home in New York City. Along the way, they make new friends and have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild. In the end, they are all able to return home safely.

What are the Madagascar movies about?

The Madagascar movies are about a group of animals who escape from captivity and return to their home in New York City. Along the way, they make new friends and have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild. In the end, they are all able to return home safely.

What Is The Best Madagascar Movie?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on personal preference. However, many people consider Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted to be the best movie in the series. Because of its humor, heart, and visually stunning sequences, it is a favorite among fans of the franchise.

Do The Madagascar Movies Have Any Sequels?

The Madagascar movies do have sequels. The first sequel is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which was released in 2008. The second sequel is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which was released in 2012. The third and final sequel is Penguins of Madagascar, which was released in 2014.

Do The Madagascar Movies Have Any Remakes?

No, the Madagascar movies have not been remade. However, there is a spin-off movie called Penguins of Madagascar, which was released in 2014.

What Is The Difference Between The Madagascar Movies And The Penguins Of Madagascar Movie?

The difference between the Madagascar movies and the Penguins of Madagascar movies is that the latter is a spin-off movie.

The Madagascar movies follow the adventures of a group of animals who escape from captivity and return to their home in New York City. Along the way, they make new friends and have to deal with the challenges of living in the wild.

In the end, they are all able to return home safely. The Penguins of Madagascar movie, on the other hand, follows the adventures of the penguins who are left behind when the other animals escape from the zoo. They must find their way back to New York City while avoiding capture by the humans.

Where can I watch Madagascar?

The Madagascar movies are available to watch on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

Conclusion

The Madagascar series is one of the most popular animated movie series for kids and adults. It has gained a huge fan following over the years and has inspired many other movies and tv shows.

If you’re looking for a fun and adventurous movie series to watch, then the Madagascar series is definitely worth checking out!

In this article, we have provided an overview of the Madagascar movie series and answered some frequently asked questions about the movie. We have also recommended some other movie series that you may enjoy if you’re a fan of the Madagascar movies.

I hope this article was helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!

Charles Eames

Hey, My name is Charles Eames, I am a designer, filmmaker, and lover of photographic arts. And I usually write about movies, Famous/Influential People. I am running this blog with my girlfriend Bernice.

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