Penguins of Madagascar

Last updated

Penguins of Madagascar
Penguins of Madagascar poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Alan Schoolcraft
  • Brent Simons
  • Michael Colton
  • John Aboud
Produced by
Starring
Edited byNick Kenway
Music by Lorne Balfe
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • November 14, 2014 (2014-11-14)(China)
  • November 26, 2014 (2014-11-26)(United States)
Running time
92 minutes [5]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$132 million [6]
Box office$373.5 million [7]

Penguins of Madagascar (also known as Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie) is a 2014 American animated spy action comedy film [8] produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by 20th Century Fox. A spin-off of the Madagascar franchise, and the fourth film overall in the series, the film was directed by series director Eric Darnell [9] and Simon J. Smith from a screenplay written by Brandon Sawyer and the writing team of Michael Colton and John Aboud, [2] based on a story conceived by Colton, Aboud, Alan Schoolcraft, and Brent Simons. Despite the title of the film, it is not directly related to the Nickelodeon animated television series The Penguins of Madagascar . Starring the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Conrad Vernon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Jeong, Annet Mahendru, Peter Stormare and John Malkovich, it takes place directly after the events of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012), [10] following the adventures of four Adélie penguins - Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private - as they join forces with the North Wind intelligence agency to stop the Giant Pacific octopus Dave, who seeks revenge on all Adélie penguins across the Earth for being upstaged by capturing them. [8]

Contents

Development of a direct-to-video (DTV) spin-off film featuring the four penguins began following the release of the first Madagascar film in 2005, initially planned for a 2009 release date, but did not come to fruition until March 2011, when it was announced that the penguins would be given their own theatrical film instead. By 2012, DreamWorks Animation announced that the film would be released in March 2015 before being pushed forward to November 2014 in May of that year. Cumberbatch and Malkovich signed in August 2013. Lorne Balfe composed the score, and Pitbull performed a song featuring DJ Frank E.

Penguins of Madagascar was released theatrically in China on November 14, 2014, and in the United States on November 26, 2014. [2] The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with specific praise going to the vocal performances (particularly Cumberbatch and Malkovich), but despite grossing $373.5 million on a $132 million budget, the film underperformed by DreamWorks' standards and lost the studio $57.1 million, along with Mr. Peabody and Sherman earlier that year. [11] This is the final DreamWorks Animation film to be produced by PDI/DreamWorks before its closure on January 22, 2015, with DreamWorks Animation (DWA) Glendale taking over. [12]

Plot

In Antarctica, penguin chicks Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski, upon seeing a runaway egg roll away from their colony, rescue it from leopard seals on an abandoned whaling ship and are set adrift on an iceberg. When the egg hatches, the trio adopt the chick as their brother, Private.

Ten years later, after defeating Captain DuBois, [lower-alpha 1] the penguins temporarily leave their new home of Circus Zaragoza to celebrate Private's birthday by breaking into Fort Knox to get Cheesy Dibbles from a vending machine, despite Private's real wish of being recognized as an official team member. The penguins are subsequently kidnapped and taken to a submarine, where they are confronted by Dave, a Giant Pacific octopus who was once the star attraction at Central Park Zoo until the penguins upstaged him with their cuteness. After being repeatedly passed between zoos and aquariums, and each time being upstaged by penguins, a bitter Dave disguised himself as a human scientist named Dr. Octavius Brine to enact his revenge. Rico swallows a vial of Dave's bioweapon – the Medusa Serum – and his snow globe collection before the penguins escape.

Fleeing through Venice while being pursued by Dave's henchmen, the penguins are rescued by the North Wind, an inter-species intelligence agency consisting of British Eurasian wolf leader Classified, Norwegian polar bear muscle Corporal, Belgian harp seal demolitionist Short Fuse, and Russian snowy owl intelligence analyst Eva. After Rico shows the North Wind the Medusa Serum, Dave hacks into the North Wind's computers to reveal he has made more of it. Deeming Skipper's team a liability to the mission, Classified darts them and puts them on a plane bound for Madagascar.

The penguins escape the plane, and, using Dave's snow globes, realize Dave is targeting every zoo and aquarium he was kicked out of and kidnapping their penguins, with the Shanghai Zoo as his next target. Skipper's team forms a plan to stop Dave, and Private reluctantly agrees to be the bait. The other penguins manage to trap Dave with a dinosaur skeleton after creating a water leak in the aquarium, just as the North Wind shows up. However, Dave escapes through a drain and captures the Shanghai penguins along with Private. Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski hijack the North Wind's jet to pursue him, accidentally destroying it. At Dave's lair, Private learns that Dave is planning to use the Medusa Serum to turn penguins into mindless, disfigured monsters, so that the public will hate and exterminate them.

Upon reaching Dave's hideout, the penguins and the North Wind clash over their different plans to infiltrate the submarine, before Skipper finally relents and goes with the North Wind's plan. The penguins distract the octopus guards while the North Wind sneak inside, but both teams are captured. Dave tests the Medusa Serum on Private, but he escapes at the last second using a paper clip he swallowed earlier, causing everyone present to believe Private has been vaporized. Private finds and frees the North Wind, but they refuse to help without their equipment, so Private heads off to rescue the penguins alone.

Dave uses the Medusa Serum to transform all the penguins, and, as Dr. Brine, unleashes them on New York City. In the chaos, Private obtains Dave's ray, finds Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico, and restores their sanity. As the penguins and the North Wind battle Dave and his henchmen, Private inserts himself into Dave's ray, using the power of his cuteness to restore the other penguins to normal. This leaves Private mutated, and Dave shrunk and trapped inside one of his snow globes, which a little girl plays with. For his heroism, Private finally earns his place as a qualified member of the team. Classified congratulates the penguins and apologizes for his earlier behavior. As a reward, the North Wind gives the penguins jetpacks, which they use to fly back to Circus Zaragoza.

In a mid-credits scene, the penguins and King Julien hook Mort up to Dave's ray and use his cuteness to restore Private to normal. As the penguins leave to celebrate, King Julien expresses disappointment that Mort has not shown any monster qualities, until the latter swallows him whole.

Cast

John Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch talking at the Penguins of Madagascar panel at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International John Malkovich & Benedict Cumberbatch, Penguins of Madagascar, SDCC 2014.jpg
John Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch talking at the Penguins of Madagascar panel at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International

Alex, Melman and Gloria also appear through Shadow cameos

Production

A direct-to-video spin-off feature film featuring the Madagascar penguin characters had been in the works since 2005, when the first film was released, with a release date initially planned for 2009. [20] Years later, DreamWorks Animation announced in March 2011 that the penguins would be given their own theatrical film, directed by Simon J. Smith (the co-director of DreamWorks' Bee Movie ) produced by Lara Breay, and written by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons (the writers of DreamWorks' Megamind ). [21] [22]

At the July 2012 Comic-Con, DreamWorks Animation announced that the film, then titled The Penguins of Madagascar, would be released in 2015. [23] Bob Schooley, one of the developers of The Penguins of Madagascar series on Nickelodeon, said that the film would be unrelated to the TV series of the same name, but added that that could always change. [24] In early September 2012, 20th Century Fox - the studio's new distributor - and DreamWorks Animation announced the film's release date of March 27, 2015 and a new team of screenwriters for the film, Michael Colton and John Aboud. [25] Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich joined the cast in August 2013. [2] Malkovich, who had been offered the role of Dr. Octavius Brine three and a half years before the film's release, told an audience at the July 2014 Comic-Con that he thought that it "was a funny idea" to use his voice for an octopus. [26]

Music

On January 8, 2014, Lorne Balfe was announced to compose the film's musical score, in his first solo debut in a DreamWorks Animation film. [27] [28] The soundtrack album was released digitally on November 21, 2014, five days before the film's theatrical release, and through CDs on December 5, by Relativity Music Group. Additionally, it featured a special edition bonus track, that consisted the musical score as well as tracks from the extended play, Penguins of Madagascar: Black & White Christmas Album, which featured five holiday songs and was released by Relativity Music Group on November 24, 2014. [29] Pitbull performed a non-album single titled "Celebrate" for the film, which was played during the film's end credits, and released as a part of his eighth studio album Globalization. [30] [31]

Release

Theatrical

Penguins of Madagascar was originally scheduled to be released on March 27, 2015. [25] On May 20, 2014, the film's release date was moved up to November 26, 2014 from its initial March 27, 2015 date, switching places with DreamWorks Animation's other film Home . [32] Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation's CEO, explained that the film, coming from one of DWA's most successful franchises, would have an easier task to stand out around the Thanksgiving holiday season while Home was to try taking advantage of a less competitive spring release window and repeat successful spring launches of some of DWA's original films, such as The Croods and How to Train Your Dragon . [33] The film was released two weeks earlier in China on November 14, 2014, where it was released by Oriental DreamWorks. [34]

The film was released in RealD 3D, 4DX and Digital 3D formats. [4] It was digitally remastered into the IMAX format, and released in select theaters across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. [35] A four-issue comic book series based on the film was published by Titan Comics, written by Alex Matthews and drawn by Lucas Fereyra. [36]

Home media

Penguins of Madagascar was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on March 17, 2015. [37] It topped the home video sales chart in its first week. [38]

Reception

Box office

Penguins of Madagascar grossed $83.4 million in North America and $290.2 million in foreign countries for a worldwide total of $373.6 million. [7] The film's production budget was $132 million, which, according to the DreamWorks Animation's president Ann Dally, excluded "incentive-based compensation." [6] By the end of 2014, the studio had to take a $57.1 million write-down, primarily related to the performances of Penguins of Madagascar and another DreamWorks Animation film, Mr. Peabody & Sherman . [11] [39]

In the United States and Canada, Penguins of Madagascar was released alongside Horrible Bosses 2 , and was projected to $45-47 million from 3,764 theatres over its five-day opening weekend. [40] It earned $6.25 million on its opening day and $3.95 million the next day on Thanksgiving Day. [41] It earned $10.5 million on Black Friday. [42] [43] The film underperformed during its opening weekend, earning $35.4 million and debuting at #2 at the box office behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 , for which 3D accounted for 24% of its opening-weekend gross. [43] The opening-weekend audience was nearly evenly split by age and gender, with 58% under the age of 25 and females accounting for 51%. [44]

The film was released in China on November 14, [34] two weeks ahead of its North American debut, and earned $11.3 million from 3,500 screens, debuting at number two at the Chinese box office behind Interstellar ($42 million). [45] In its opening weekend, the film earned $36.5 million from 47 markets. [46] Overall, the top openings were in Russia ($8.2 million), Korea ($6 million), Italy ($4.63 million), Germany ($4.2 million), and Australia ($3.68 million). [47] [48] The film's opening in Germany was the second-highest for an animated film in 2014, behind How to Train Your Dragon 2 . [47]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Penguins of Madagascar holds an approval rating of 74% based on 117 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Penguins of Madagascar is fast and brightly colored enough to entertain small children, but too frantically silly to offer real filmgoing fun for the whole family." [49] On Metacritic, the film achieved a score of 53 out of 100 based on reviews from 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [50] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [43]

Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News gave the film three out of five stars, saying "Granted, it's no classic, but a sassy script and good-natured voice work from Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich should keep kids and grownups entertained over the holidays." [51] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film a B, saying "Frenetic and frequently funny, Penguins Of Madagascar represents the DreamWorks Animation franchise style—which boils down to self-aware, but naïve, talking animals who learn kid-friendly life lessons—at its most palatable." [52] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, saying "The lack of originality is offset by sheer silliness, including Classified and Skipper's Abbott and Costello-style argument over whether there's a long I in 'diversion.' The word fits the movie." [53]

Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Once again the Madagascar team have come up with a winner – a nice way to kick off the Thanksgiving and holiday filmgoing experience for the whole family." [54] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying "While there are plenty of madcap antics to fill a feature, all that manic energy ultimately proves to be more exhausting than exhilarating." [55] Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C−, saying "Penguins of Madagascar aims primarily for the kiddies, racing from one frenetic action sequence to another like some haywire Walter Lantz cartoon." [56]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Award/Film FestivalCategoryRecipient(s)Result
42nd Annie Awards [57] Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated ProductionMitul Patel, Nicolas Delbecq, Santosh Khedkar and Yash ArgawalNominated
Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature ProductionRavi KambleNominated
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature ProductionCraig Kellman, Joe Moshier, Stevie Lewis and Todd KurosawaNominated
51st Cinema Audio Society Awards [58] Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Picture - AnimatedTighe Sheldon, Paul N.J. Ottosson, Dennis Sands and Randy K. SingerNominated
28th Kids' Choice Awards [59] Favorite Animated Movie Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith Nominated
11th St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards [60] Best Animated Film Nominated

Soundtrack

Lorne Balfe composed the original score for the film, [29] making it his first solo debut in a DreamWorks Animation film. Balfe wrote the additional music for the previous two Madagascar films and helped Madagascar composer Hans Zimmer with the score for Megamind . The soundtrack was released on November 21, 2014, by Relativity Music Group. [29] Relativity also released an EP, Penguins of Madagascar: Black & White Christmas Album, which featured five holiday songs. [29] Pitbull performed a song titled "Celebrate" for the film, which was played during the credits. A music video of the song was also released on YouTube in October 21, 2014.

Video game

A video game based on the film, titled Penguins of Madagascar, and published by Little Orbit, was released on November 25, 2014, for Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U. [61]

Notes

  1. ↑ As depicted at the end of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

Related Research Articles

Conrad Vernon is an American voice actor, director, writer, and storyboard artist best known for his work on the DreamWorks animated film series Shrek as well as other films such as Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and Penguins of Madagascar. He also co-directed non-DreamWorks animated films such as Sony Pictures' Sausage Party and MGM’s The Addams Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DreamWorks Animation</span> American animation studio

DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA) (also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The studio has released a total of 48 feature films, including several of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Shrek 2 (2004) having been the highest at the time of its release. Its first film, Antz, was released on October 2, 1998, and its latest film, Kung Fu Panda 4, was released on March 8, 2024. They have an upcoming theatrical slate of films, which includes The Wild Robot on September 27, 2024, Dog Man on January 31, 2025, The Bad Guys 2 on August 1, 2025, and Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie on September 26, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict Cumberbatch</span> English actor (born 1976)

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2015, he was appointed a CBE for services to performing arts and charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Data Images</span> American animation studio owned by DreamWorks Animation

Pacific Data Images (PDI) was an American visual effects and computer animation production company based in Redwood City, California, that was bought by DreamWorks SKG in 2000. It was renamed PDI/DreamWorks and was owned by DreamWorks Animation.

<i>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</i> American computer-animated comedy film in 2008

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a 2008 American animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to Madagascar (2005) and the second installment in the franchise. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Etan Cohen, Darnell, and McGrath. The film features Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Elisa Gabrielli, McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, and Conrad Vernon reprising their voice acting roles from the first film, joined by new cast members Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, and will.i.am, as well as voice acting veteran John DiMaggio. In the film, the main characters, a party of animals from the Central Park Zoo whose adventures have taken them to Madagascar find themselves in the African savannas, where they meet others of their species and where Alex the lion reunites with his parents.

<i>The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper</i> 2005 American short film

The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper is a 2005 American animated short film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. Directed by animation veteran Gary Trousdale, produced by Teresa Cheng, and written by Michael Lachance, it stars the voice cast of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, John DiMaggio, Elisa Gabrielli, and Bill Fagerbakke. Set before the events of the first Madagascar, the 12-minute Madagascar spin-off features the adventures of four penguins, sometimes known as the Madagascar Penguins, who live in the Central Park Zoo and are trained as spies. When Private is captured by Nana by wanting to find a present for Ted during his absence, the other three penguins, Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico, must rescue Private from Nana's apartment, while making last-minute preparations for Christmas at the Central Park Zoo. The music in the short film is scored by James Dooley.

<i>Madagascar</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Madagascar is a platform video game based on the animated film of the same name by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, produced by DreamWorks. The game was released on May 24, 2005 in North America and on June 30, 2005 in Europe. The GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions were developed by Toys for Bob. The Microsoft Windows version was developed by Beenox and the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions were developed by Vicarious Visions. All versions of the game were published by Activision. Madagascar: Operation Penguin was the next Madagascar video game to be released on the Game Boy Advance.

Eric Darnell is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, screenwriter, songwriter and occasional voice actor best known for co-directing Antz with Tim Johnson, as well as co-directing and co-writing Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted with Tom McGrath, as well as the spin off Penguins of Madagascar (2014) with Simon J. Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom McGrath (animator)</span> American voice actor, animator and film director

Thomas McGrath is an American voice actor, animator and filmmaker. He is known for the DreamWorks animated film Madagascar, which he co-wrote and directed with Eric Darnell while voicing the character of Skipper the Penguin. The film spawned two direct sequels. along with a spin-off animated series and film based on the penguins in which McGrath reprised his role as Skipper. McGrath has also directed other DreamWorks animated films such as Megamind and The Boss Baby and its 2021 sequel.

<i>The True Meaning of Smekday</i> 2007 childrens book by Adam Rex

The True Meaning of Smekday is a 2007 children's book by Adam Rex. It was adapted by DreamWorks Animation into the 2015 feature film Home.

<i>Madagascar</i> (2005 film) DreamWorks Animation film

Madagascar is a 2005 American animated survival comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and PDI/DreamWorks, and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Darnell, McGrath, Mark Burton, and Billy Frolick. The film stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter. It centers around a group of animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar and must adjust to living in the wild.

<i>The Penguins of Madagascar</i> American animated television series

The Penguins of Madagascar is an American animated television series produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It stars nine characters from DreamWorks' animated film Madagascar: the penguins Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private ; the lemurs King Julien, Maurice, and Mort ; and Mason and Phil the chimpanzees. Characters new to the series include Marlene the otter and a zookeeper named Alice. It is the first Nicktoon co-produced with DreamWorks Animation. The series was executive-produced by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle, who were the creators of the animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Disney Channel's Kim Possible.

<i>Madagascar</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

Madagascar is an American media franchise owned and produced by DreamWorks Animation. The voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith are featured in the films. It began with the 2005 film Madagascar, the 2008 sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and the third film Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 2012. A spin-off film featuring the penguins, titled Penguins of Madagascar, was released in 2014. A fourth main film, Madagascar 4, was announced for 2018, but has since been removed from its schedule due to the studio's restructuring.

<i>Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted</i> 2012 animated comedy film by DreamWorks

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is a 2012 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The third and final installment in the Madagascar franchise, it is the sequel to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), and was the first film in the series to be released in 3D. It was directed by Eric Darnell, Conrad Vernon and Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Darnell and Noah Baumbach. The film stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, John DiMaggio, and Vernon reprising their voice acting roles from the previous installments, alongside new cast members Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short and Frances McDormand. In the film, the main characters—a party of animals from the Central Park Zoo whose adventures have already taken them to Madagascar and Africa—attempt to return to New York City, and find themselves traveling across Europe with a circus while being chased by a relentless French Animal Control officer.

<i>Merry Madagascar</i> 2009 film directed by David Soren

Merry Madagascar is a Christmas special first broadcast on the NBC network on November 17, 2009, which starred the characters from the film series Madagascar, and takes place sometime between the first and second film. It is the second DreamWorks Animation Christmas special, after Shrek the Halls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Animation</span> Animated media production division of Paramount Pictures

Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own Rango and the end of their distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation in 2012.

Since the early 2000s, DreamWorks Animation, an American animation studio, owned by NBCUniversal, has had an involvement in the creation and theming of amusement park rides and attractions. This article details the ventures of DreamWorks Animation in amusement parks.

<i>Home</i> (2015 film) DreamWorks Animation film

Home is a 2015 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely based on Adam Rex's 2007 children's book The True Meaning of Smekday, the film was directed by Tim Johnson from a screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, and stars the voices of Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Jones. The story follows the shared adventures of a friendly alien who is shunned by the rest of his kind, and a teenage girl searching for her mother after they are separated during an invasion of Earth.

<i>The Fifth Estate</i> (film) 2013 thriller film by Bill Condon

The Fifth Estate is a 2013 biographical thriller film directed by Bill Condon about the news-leaking website WikiLeaks. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as its editor-in-chief and founder Julian Assange and Daniel Brühl as its former spokesperson Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Alicia Vikander, Stanley Tucci, and Laura Linney are featured in supporting roles. The film's screenplay was written by Josh Singer based in-part on Domscheit-Berg's book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website (2011), as well as WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy (2011) by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. The film's name is a reference to people who operate in the manner of journalists outside the normal constraints imposed on the mainstream media.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Penguins of Madagascar". DreamWorks Animation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sneider, Jeff (August 5, 2013). "Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich Join 'Penguins of Madagascar' (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ Milo, Mike (June 11, 2014). "News: THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR | Official Trailer Revealed!". Animation Insider. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Moviefone (June 11, 2014). "Penguins of Madagascar Trailer (2014): Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ "PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR (U)". British Board of Film Classification . November 6, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "DreamWorks Animation SKG's (DWA) CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on Q3 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript". Seeking Alpha. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014. ...our next 2 movies, Penguins of Madagascar and Home, have production budgets of $132 million each, excluding incentive-based compensation.
  7. 1 2 "Penguins of Madagascar (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Jeff Hare (August 15, 2013). "The Stars Align For 2015 DreamWorks Animation Films". DreamWorks Animation (Press release). Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2014– via Pitch Engine.
  9. 1 2 Cunningham, Todd (May 20, 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Switches Release Dates on 'Penguins of Madagascar' and 'Home'". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  10. ↑ Nemiroff, Perri (October 12, 2014). "HOME and PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Comic-Con Panel Recap: New Footage, Evil Scientist Octopus, 28-Second Alien Invasion and More". Collider.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Bond, Paul (February 24, 2015). "DreamWorks Animation Takes $57M Write-Down on 'Penguins of Madagascar'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 29, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ Wolfe, Jennifer (January 22, 2015). "DreamWorks Animation Shuttering PDI". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Truitt, Brian (June 8, 2014). "Sneak Peek: 'Penguins of Madagascar'". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 9, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  14. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (November 12, 2014). "Film Review: 'Penguins of Madagascar'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  15. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (June 11, 2014). "Benedict Cumberbatch had to voice a Eurasian wolf named Classified in a brand-new Madagascar spin-off film featuring the penguins". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2019– via www.theguardian.com.
  16. ↑ VanDerWerff, Emily Todd (November 26, 2014). "Here are some of Benedict Cumberbatch's most oddly sexy lines from Penguins of Madagascar". Vox. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Benedict Cumberbatch Thinks 'Penguins of Madagascar' is A Disney-Made Film". Cartoon Brew. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  18. ↑ McHenry, Jackson (June 11, 2014). "'The Penguins of Madagascar' trailer: Spies and Benedict Cumberbatch -- VIDEO". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  19. ↑ Han, Angie (July 25, 2014). "Penguins of Madagascar' Footage Recap and Panel Highlights [Comic Con 2014]". /Film. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  20. ↑ Fritz, Ben (September 14, 2005). "D'Works will rely on animal instinct". Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  21. ↑ Kit, Borys (August 11, 2011). "'Madagascar' Spin-Off to Be Helmed by 'Bee Movie' Co-Director (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  22. ↑ Kit, Borys (March 29, 2011). "DreamWorks Developing 'Madagascar' Penguins Spinoff Movie (Exclusive)". HollywoodReporter.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  23. ↑ B. Vary, Adam (July 12, 2012). "DreamWorks Animation Comic-Con panel: Caveman families and penguin movies!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Email Interview With Robert Schooley". Total Media Bridge. July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  25. 1 2 DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (September 9, 2012). "New Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Unveils DreamWorks Animation's Release Slate Through 2016" (Press release). PR Newswire. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  26. ↑ Goldberg, Matt (July 24, 2014). "PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Comic-Con Panel Recap: A Great DreamWorks Animated Film Might Be on the Way". Collider.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Lorne Balfe to Score 'The Penguins of Madagascar'". Film Music Reporter. January 8, 2014. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Dreamworks Animation : High-Fives All Around: The Penguins Of Madagascar Recruited For Top-Secret Assignment This Fall". Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 4 "'Penguins of Madagascar' Soundtrack Announced". Film Music Reporter. November 13, 2014. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Pitbull Explains Why He's Just Like The Penguins Of Madagascar". MTV. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  31. ↑ Chau, Thomas (October 22, 2014). "Pitbull + The Penguins of Madagascar 'Celebrate' in New Music Video". PopCrush. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  32. ↑ "DreamWorks Animation Moves Up 'Penguins Of Madagascar' Bow, Bumps 'Home' To 2015". Deadline.com. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  33. ↑ "DreamWorks Animation SKG's (DWA) CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on Q2 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript". Seeking Alpha. July 29, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  34. 1 2 Robb, David (October 21, 2014). "'Penguins Of Madagascar' Will Hit China Before Opening Stateside". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  35. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (October 30, 2014). "Imax Signs Four-Picture Deal With 20th Century Fox". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Titan Announces New DreamWorks Animation "Penguin of Madagascar" Comic" (Press release). Comic Book Resources. September 15, 2014. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  37. ↑ "DreamWorks' Penguins of Madagascar Waddles Onto Blu-ray and DVD - ComingSoon.net". ComingSoon.net. January 20, 2015. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  38. ↑ Alex Stedman (March 25, 2015). "'Penguins of Madagascar' Debuts at No. 1 on Home Video Sales Chart". Variety . Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  39. ↑ DreamWorks Animation SKG (February 24, 2015). "DreamWorks Animation Reports Fourth Quarter And Year-End 2014 Financial Results" (Press release). PR Newswire. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  40. ↑ Dave McNary (November 26, 2014). "Box Office: 'Horrible Bosses 2′ Scores $1 Million in Tuesday Night Launch". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  41. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (November 27, 2014). "'Mockingjay', 'Penguins' & 'Horrible Bosses 2′ Cook Up T-Giving Box Office". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  42. ↑ Maane Khatchatourian (November 19, 2014). "Box Office: 'Mockingjay' Rules Black Friday With $24.1 Million as 'Horrible Bosses 2' Stumbles". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  43. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 1, 2014). "'Mockingjay' Up In Actuals, 'Penguins', 'Bosses' A Bit Softer — Weekend B.O." Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  44. ↑ Ray Subers (November 30, 2014). "Weekend Report: 'Hunger Games' Devours Undercooked Franchise Titles Over Thanksgiving". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  45. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (November 16, 2014). "'Interstellar' Blasts Past $200M With $42M China Lift-Off: International Box Office". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  46. ↑ Ray Subers (November 30, 2014). "Around-the-World Roundup: 'Mockingjay' Repeats, 'Interstellar' Nears $401 Million". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  47. 1 2 Nancy Tartaglione (November 30, 2014). "'Mockingjay', 'Interstellar', 'Penguins' Lead Frame; 'Paddington' Charms UK: Int'l B.O. Update" . Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  48. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (January 4, 2015). "'Hobbit' Passes $500M; 'American Sniper', 'Taken 3′ Skillful: Intl Box Office Update". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Penguins of Madagascar". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 22, 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  50. ↑ "Penguins of Madagascar". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  51. ↑ "'Penguins of Madagascar,' movie review". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Review: Penguins Of Madagascar is DreamWorks Animation at its most amusingly energetic". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on November 27, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  53. ↑ Ben Kenigsberg (November 25, 2014). "'Penguins of Madagascar,' With Voice of Benedict Cumberbatch". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  54. ↑ "'Penguins of Madagascar': A happy feat of action, comedy". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  55. ↑ Michael Rechtshaffen (November 12, 2014). "'Penguins of Madagascar': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  56. ↑ "Penguins of Madagascar Review - Movie Reviews and News - EW.com". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  57. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 1, 2014). "Annie Awards Nominations Unveiled". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  58. ↑ "CAS Awards Nominees Sound Familiar – But Not All Of Them". Deadline. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  59. ↑ "Kids' Choice Awards Nominees 2015: A Nominations Refresher List Before The March 28 Award Show". International Business Times . March 27, 2015. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  60. ↑ Adams, Ryan (December 11, 2014). "St Louis Film Critic Nominees". Awards Daily. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  61. ↑ "Smile and Wave, Boys! Little Orbit Announces Penguins of Madagascar Video Game" (Press release). PR Newswire. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.